Wish
by hyliansage
Summary: If you could have your one fondest dream granted, what would you ask for? What would you want? But most importantly, what would you do to make that wish come true? MatthewLeila with hints of other pairings.
1. Memory

This fic takes place about one year after the events of Fire Emblem:Blazing Sword/Rekka no Ken. The primary romance of this fic is Matthew/Leila. ^_^ But it won't be an ordinary Matthew/Leila fic... 'cause I'm planning on making this a pretty long "epic" ficcy... There will be three original "good" characters, and maybe one or two more original "bad" characters, I'm not quite sure yet. If I do anything that you might not like, then please tell me, and I'll TRY to change it... ^_^ I'm always open to suggestions, but I cannot guarantee I will always be able to follow them exactly. But... I WILL try, I promise, on my honor, on my heart. ^___^ And please, please remember that not all things in this fic will turn out the way they seem, or the way you expect them to turn out. I like misleading people; it's fun! ^_^;; But anyway, enough rambling. I hope you enjoy this!

Disclaimer: (This will be in effect throughout the entire fic, as if I needed to tell you that... ^_^) I don't own Fire Emblem: Blazing Sword/Rekka no Ken, but I really really wish I did...

Chapter 1: Memory

Darkness. That was all he could see, that was all there was to see. Nothing but a sea of pitch black, a sea of darkness. But he wasn't afraid. He wasn't a druid, caught in the embraces of the dark, like the madman Nergal had been. He wasn't the Angel of Death, forever lurking in the shadows.

The Angel of Death. He winced at that name, _the_ name, the name of the one who had killed... _her_. Leila...

No. He wouldn't allow himself to be sad, to feel any tinge of sorrow. He would keep his promise... to _her_. He concentrated on the world around him, watching it change, trying to forget his grief.

The darkness was clearing, evaporating, its inky tendrils dissipating into thin air. He watched as the last cloud of murky mist separated, diffused into tiny, indiscernible particles, a bemused expression on his face. No, he wasn't afraid of the darkness; in fact, he was rather sad to see it go. But yet, he felt scared, afraid, frightened, frightened to see what the darkness had been so kindly hiding from him.

_Her_.

She stood in a field, a meadow of crisp green grass and brightly hued flowers, the meadow they had spent so much time in... together. Her back was turned, but there was no mistaking the bright rosy red hair he had always loved.

His heart pounded faster and faster; his feeling of eagerness grew. His footsteps quickened without his permission; he could not will them to stop. He knew... he knew perfectly well what would happen, but his feet would not listen. Running, dashing, sprinting toward the lone figure, he let the tears fall freely from his eyes, for he knew what was bound to happen, what always did happen.

His arms encircled the figure involuntarily, and he fell through to the ground, gasping. He saw _her_ eyes, _her_ face, smiling sadly at him, before they slipped away from sight. A small, pitiful moan escaped from his throat. It was the same every time... the same...

He sighed as heard the soft sound of footsteps, turned to regard his sole visitor with an annoyed look, a look he rarely used. It was the same every time...

A girl, a bit younger than him, returned his empty stare. He noted, with a preciseness and casualness born of routine, her ordinary light brown hair, tied in an ordinarily short ponytail, and her ordinary brown eyes, nothing like _her_ features. He watched nonchalantly as the girl faded away, just like... _she_ had.

He looked down at the ground, at his well-worn boots, at the grass, at the flowers, their colors fading away with each passing second. This... torture... was finally about to end. He looked up again, staring calmly at the fast-approaching image of an open-mouthed dragon, ready to swallow him whole.

It was the same every time...

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A/N: I promise that future chapters will be a lot longer. This one's kinda a prologue. Ah... did you find that interesting?

Lessee... Eliwood, Hector, and Lyn won't be main characters in this fic. They'll just kinda be there... To push the plot along... ^_^ Hmm... I'm pretty sure Erk's gonna be a main character... um... Nils won't be in this fic for sure... Ninian probably won't be mentioned much either... I'm pretty sure Dorcas and Bartre won't be mentioned... Geitz too... hm...

Well... that's all. Next chappie should be up soon! Please R/R!!! ^_^


	2. And So It Begins

I'm guessing that the events in the epilogues of the individual characters are not all taking place immediately after the general epilogue, so don't be surprised if a character who you thought died in their ending makes an appearance in this fic. I don't think that that's going to happen but... just in case. By the way... is a person from Pherae spelled "Pheraean" or "Pheraen?" The latter's in Sain/Isadora C... but... I'm confused...

I'm not exactly sure how the medieval inns worked, so I just kinda based it off the Stock Pot Inn in Majora's Mask. And if you start cringing at the bad grammar and spelling in some... alright... most... of the dialogue, then just remember that it's my attempt at writing "country" speech. It won't be used a lot, I promise!

A big thank you to everyone who reviewed! Hope you like this chapter!

Chapter 2: And So It Begins

It was a beautiful sunny late morning in the seaside territory of Pherae in the League of Lycia. The birds were singing, the bees were buzzing, and everyone in the small pub and inn by the name of "The Wildflower" was happily exchanging a bit of gossip or enjoying a quiet cup of tea. Well... all except for one person.

Chirp chirp. Chirp chirp cccchhhhhiiiirrrrrrppppp! CHHIIIII-RRRRRRPPPPP!

"Shut up!"

A pillow flew at the unsuspecting bird with deadly accuracy, but luckily for the little robin, it fell short three-fourths of the way. Twittering angrily at its attacker, the bird fluttered away from its perch on the windowsill, looking for some other late sleeper to arouse.

Matthew groaned as he slowly sat up in the hard inn bed. He _had_ been enjoying a quiet dreamless sleep, until the blasted bird started singing its annoyingly loud song. The bright light streaming through his open window hadn't helped much either. He sighed and stared at the sheets lying in disarray around him, rubbing his eyes repeatedly to wake himself up. Once he was fairly sure that he was fully awake, he slid out of bed and set to pulling his boots onto his feet. He was in no hurry. Lord Hector had given him a week's leave for some rest and relaxation, despite his protests.

The master spy of Ostia grinned to himself as he recalled the results of Lord Hector's decree. Serra had nearly gone to tears and started begging for a leave of her own; Oswin had had to pry her off the throne and order her to her room. Hector, needless to say, had been very relieved. Matthew made a mental note to thank Lord Hector for the leave. It had only been two days and he was feeling better already. The thief grinned cheerfully as a sudden realization dawned upon him.

_Haven't slept in for a while_... _Nearly forgotten how it feels..._

But his smile quickly disappeared from his face as he recalled the... "events" of the previous night. Matthew clenched his fist tight, shutting his eyes, trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall. He had promised her... and he would keep that promise.

But why? Why was it still so hard? It had been already... a year...

Shoving his grief to some dark corner of his mind, the Ostian spy set about his work of getting ready for the day, biting his lower lip so that he could concentrate on the physical pain and ignore the emotional suffering. He had to go somewhere, do something, anything... so that he could forget.

Once assured that all his things were packed into his dirty, well-worn bag, and certain that his hair was a bit more... presentable, Matthew pulled on his cloak and headed downstairs for the inn's pub, or as the owners liked to call it, the restaurant. The medium-sized room was already filled with people of all ages and walks of life, all engaged in healthy banter. The young thief sat down at an empty table, quietly asking for a glass of water and some bread for his breakfast. And of course, as usual, he kept his ears open for any interesting tidbits of news. It didn't take him long to find a conversation that attracted his interest.

"Haven't you heard? 'Bout that rich farmer family?"

"Nah. What 'bout 'em?"

"Place got raided and burned by a bunch of bandits. Killed a bunch of people, includin' the farmer and his wife. Bodies everywhere. Those bandits musta been drunk or somethin'. The old man were a pretty darn 'portant person, y'know? Heard General Marcus an' Sir Lowen be comin' here t'day t'get some news."

Matthew blinked at the mention of Marcus and Lowen but otherwise showed no other noticeable interest, as was expected of a master spy.

The conversation continued on. "General Marcus and Sir Lowen? Then we better be on our best behavior then. T'wouldn't want any trouble."

"Well. _I_ heard that Sir Lowen is very compassionate. I'm sure he wouldn't mind just a bit of mischief. In fact, I'm sure he'd be glad to see the townspeople behaving normally."

"'Nuff 'bout Sir Lowen. What 'bout the daughter and son?"

"Can't find 'em. No bodies either. Probly carted off somewhere."

"'Tis a pity they ain't found. Heard the girl was pretty decent lookin'. Not nearly as pretty as Lady Lyndis of Caelin or our very own Dame Rebecca and Dame Isadora, but decent 'nuff."

"Aye. She were decent lookin', that she were. A bit on the plain side tho'... Saw her once. Looked real noble-like in that dress and feather fan. 'Tis a real pity. The boy were a nice lad too. Pretty scrawny but a happy little fella all the same."

"I heard they wanted the girl to be a troubadour and the boy to be a knight."

"Y'heard right. Problem was, neither of 'em were too great with their lessons. The old man weren't too happy with that."

"'Course not. Always expected the best from 'em, he did. Gave 'em quite the lecture, that's what I've heard."

"Bet the girl had a hard time takin' it."

"Why would ya say that?"

"Ain't she s'pposed t'be cold and mean and headstrong or somethin'? That's what I heard from the boys the old man hires to help durin' harvest season. And she never talks to anyone when she comes here."

"Dunno... I'd say that the boy probably had a harder time... But the girl's pretty proud of her status tho'... ev'ryone in town has t'call her "miss" and stuff."

"Yeah. Wonder if she's adopted or somethin'... Not like her brother at all."

"Nah. If anyone's adopted, it's gotta be her brother. The boy's nice and cheerful, but the girl's jus' like her old man, 'cept mebbe the old man's even meaner than her. And at least she's smiled once or twice..."

"The old man's smiled too before... 'fore his wife got ill."

"How did she get sick in the first place?"

"Dunno. All's I know is that he never talked to no one after that. Tended to her all the time, that he did, never cared much 'bout his children."

"I feel sorry for his son... he always seemed so afraid of his father the few times I saw them come here together."

"Yer right. I've heard that their father hated the boy 'cause he was too scrawny and weak to be a knight, so that's why he was always so scared of his old man. But he loved his sister, always would be clutching her hand, even if she told him not to."

"Methinks the girl loved her brother too. Always together, that's what I've heard."

"Wonder where they are now..."

That statement was followed by silence from all who had participated in the conversation. A moment later, an excited young man rushed into the room waving his arms frantically.

"Hey! Everyone! General Marcus and Sir Lowen are coming!" he yelled.

Within seconds, the previously peaceful room was in chaos as people hastily rushed about trying to tidy up various aspects of the pub. Matthew took advantage of the disorder to slip away from the scene unnoticed, remembering to leave a few shiny coins next to his empty plate as payment for the "breakfast."

He scaled the stairs to his room, locked the door, and knelt down in a corner with his ear to the floor. The spy had specifically requested this particular room as it provided the best spot to listen in on any conversations taking place below in the pub. Even though that... knowledge... had required a few nights of additional snooping around, Matthew decided that the work was well worth it when the familiar sounds of galloping hoofbeats and clanking armor reached his ear. Despite the fact that he was uncomfortably wedged between the bed and the wall, the Ostian spy could not help but smile as he heard Lowen's excited voice, followed by Marcus' deeper one.

The two Pheraen knights exchanged friendly greetings with the townspeople, asking about the harvest and commenting on the weather. The townspeople, in turn, praised Lord Eliwood's leadership and his kindness. Matthew listened to this part of the conversation with a bored expression on his face, quietly waiting for someone to mention the raiding incident. He was soon rewarded for his patience when Lowen suddenly asked for information on the manor and its inhabitants. When the townspeople launched into their explanations, Matthew quickly realized that they were simply repeating what he had heard earlier and decided that listening to the accounts again was not worth his time.

He freed himself from the cramped corner and brushed the dust off his clothes. The thief smiled wryly to himself.

_If they can't give me any more information... then it looks as if I'll have to do it myself._

Once again checking that he had enough food and drink to last for a few days, Matthew quickly wrote a note to the innkeeper that told of his premature departure, left that and a few gold pieces on his bed, and stuck his head out the window to make sure that no one was watching. Satisfied that there weren't any people in sight, Matthew jumped out the window to a nearby tree, proceeding to climb down its thick trunk with the speed and ease of a squirrel. When he was back on firm ground, he swung his pack over his shoulder, whistled a soft note or two to himself, and set off in no particular direction.

Or what _seemed_ to be no particular direction.

After he had wandered aimlessly for a little while, and certain that he was not being followed, Matthew discreetly directed his steps toward the raided manor, still taking care that he was not noticed at all, wondering to himself what sort of spoils he would be able to find in the ruins.

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A/N: Like? See? It _was_ longer! I don't know when the next chapter will be up... I guess you could say that I'm notorious for taking weeks to update... especially during the school year... Updates should come faster once summer's here! Well... Please R/R!


	3. Of Thieves and Dragons

I got lots of reviews! Thanks to everyone! Alright, the basic plot will probably be introduced in this chappie, as well as two OC's... So yeah, I'm hoping that you'll like it! Aha... and um... don't blame me for any bad info/ideas on architecture... I'm no expert... T-T And I suppose that there will be "AU" aspects in here, but they're only related to mamkutes and dragons 'cause I have pretty much no clue about what would be canon for those things... Hmm... I don't know what else to say... on with the fic!

And extra special thanks to Vyctori for helping me work out a bunch of plot points!

So um... now on with the fic! And please remember to point it out to me when I start screwing up people's personalities... that way I can change it next chapter... A sorta long chapter this time so enjoy! Oh yes and... Matthew is around 19/20 in this ficcy, 'K? All other ages will come as the people are introduced...

Chapter 3: Of Thieves and Dragons

Matthew sighed as he silently lifted yet another piece of rubble, only to find a small beetle scuttling away. Nothing of interest there. The young thief had originally thought that it would be an easy... mission. As a spy of Ostia, he regarded it as his duty to inspect any extraordinary occurrences in other countries. Of course, as a part time thief, it was also his duty to relieve decease owners of their... unwanted valuables.

During his stay in the inn, he had overhead that the manor had actually been rather hastily constructed. Thin stone tiles made up the ceiling, supported only by wooden beams and thick wooden walls. That design made the building incredibly susceptible to fire - if any part of the wooden section of the manor collapsed in flames, then the entire ceiling would topple after it. However, that would also create spaces between the fallen pieces of stone, perfect places to look for any "surviving" treasures...

Unfortunately, Matthew hadn't had the luck to find any of those "survivors," even though he had been digging through the piles and piles of scorched wood and cracked stone since morning. He hadn't even stopped to enjoy a peaceful lunch! The sun was setting now, and it was gradually getting harder and harder for him to concentrate on his goal, partially due to the fact that he was still in "relaxation-mode" and partially due to his stomach's complaints.

Sighing again, Matthew decided that it was not worth his efforts to continue his search, and set to gathering wood to make himself a comfortable fire. And with the abundance of that particular material in the area, it wasn't a hard thing to do. The Ostian spy busied himself in keeping his fire just about the right size, not small enough to produce no warmth, and not large enough to attract attention. Luckily for him, he was adept at doing that, or so he liked to think. Once he was satisfied with his work, he retrieved a salted piece of jerky and a few pieces of bread from his pack and placed them near the fire. It wasn't necessary, but a warm meal was always better than a cold one.

Convinced that there was no one around him, Matthew lay back on a boulder lying near his fire, admiring the stars that were just starting to appear in the dimming sky. _She_ had loved doing that, and they had spent many a free night in a quiet field in Ostia, marveling at the twinkling jewels before their eyes. A few unwilling tears made their way down his face, but before they could reach the ground, he wiped them dry. It would not do for him to cry; she would not have liked it; she would have teased him for it. After all, what kind of man would he be if he didn't keep his promise to _her_? But still... but still he could not help but think about her, her face, her smile.

_Leila... Are you really... gone?_

He glanced at the stars again, thinking, imagining, remembering... all against his will. If he hadn't been so stupid, if he hadn't waited, _she_ would be sitting next to him now, gazing at those stars with him, with her hand in his, with her head on his shoulder...

A sudden rustle in the bushes behind him aroused Matthew from his thoughts. He mentally chastised himself for losing himself in his reveries, but nevertheless quietly retrieved his knife from its sheath on his belt. The rustling suddenly stopped, giving the Ostian spy some time to plan his next move. As far as he could tell, whoever or whatever was making the noises definitely wasn't a drunken bandit. With that possibility ruled out, all that was left to do was to test whether the mysterious visitor was only a curious animal or a hungry thief.

Scooping a small stone from the ground, Matthew casually tossed it into the bushes. It landed with a soft thud, but there was no explosion of movement that would have been expected of an animal. Forcing himself to concentrate on the scene unfolding before him, to forget his previous grief, to see the humor of the situation, the young spy grinned.

_How ironic. A thief trying to steal from a thief._

Whoever it was, he or she was most likely after his meal and not his money. After all, who would expect such a seemingly unkempt person to carry around a large amount of gold? Still grinning, Matthew quickly decided that his day had been far too uneventful and made up his mind that he would have a little... fun... with his visitor.

Feigning ignorance, he pretended to yawn and lay back on the boulder yet again, this time closing his eyes. Hopefully, the thief would believe him to be asleep and creep out of the bushes to snatch Matthew's meal. And then, he would suddenly "wake up" and proceed in frightening the food-napper... Oh, how he loved that idea...

Still pretending to be asleep, Matthew kept a strong grip on his knife and listened intently for any sounds of movement. His expectations were soon proved true when the soft sound of tiptoeing feet reached his ears. He kept his eyes closed for a while longer, waiting for the perfect opportunity...

_Now!_

Matthew leapt to his feet, brandishing his knife as he had often done during his travels with the army. He soon spotted his visitor, who seemed to be frozen to the ground with his or her back turned to Matthew. The figure was completely covered from head to toe in a thick black cloak but it seemed to be a... child? The Ostian spy shrugged to himself. It didn't matter; he would deal with that later. It was more important that he get his meal back first.

"Hey. I'll make you a deal. If you give me back my food, I'll let you go with your life."

The thief didn't respond, but Matthew could see that he or she was shuddering with fear, most likely.

Feeling a bit sorry for the child, Matthew softened his tone a little. "And I won't tell anyone about it. Maybe I'll even give you a bit of bread."

Still no response.

He tried again. "Look, if you're not going to I'll-"

Matthew nearly dropped his knife with shock. The child... figure... thing... had turned around, revealing a hideous face, complete with fangs and an ugly pug nose. It then proceeded to run off toward the ruins of the manor, carrying Matthew's dinner with it.

Quickly recovering from the surprise, the Ostian spy snatched up his bag and followed the thief... monster into the maze of burnt wood and shattered rock. Muttering several curses to himself, he lamented the unexpected turn of events but continued his chase anyway. Luckily for him, and unluckily for the thief, the moonlight was particularly bright that night, illuminating everything that it touched. Following the cloaked figure through corridors, around corners, and over piles of rubble, Matthew kept his eye trained on the retreating shadow of the thief, never letting it out of his sight.

However, just as he chased the figure around yet another corner, he was dismayed to find that the thief had squeezed through a small hole and escaped to the other side of a long wall of stone. Falling to his hands and knees, Matthew peeked through the opening and caught a glance of the fleeing figure. Its cloak's hood was down, giving the Ostian spy a quick glimpse of messy blond hair before the thief disappeared from sight. He tried to follow, but quickly discovered that the hole was far too small for him.

Mumbling yet another string of curses, Matthew stood up and brushed the dust off his clothes. He was just about to return to his campsite when he noticed a piece of bread tossed carelessly to the side. A bit further off was a... thing. Intrigued, the young spy sauntered over and picked it up. It was a mask! A mask with fangs and... an ugly... pug... nose...

Matthew clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. He had been fooled. _He_... the one who was supposed to be an expert at things like this... had been fooled. Looking back at the mask in his hands, he grudgingly admitted that it was a very well crafted piece of art. Something that looked realistic enough to fool even an experienced spy and thief. He dusted the mask off and carefully placed it on his face. It wasn't a perfect fit, but it would do. Stuffing his find into his bag, he proceeded to find a way around the wall, intent on getting his dinner back and wrecking a bit of revenge on whoever had tricked him.

He walked around the perimeter of the wall for a short distance, disappointed to see that where this wall ended, another started. He had no clue for how long that pattern would continue, and time was running short. If he didn't find the thief soon, his dinner would most likely be long gone.

_Well... if I can't get around it... I can get over it._

Taking a cursory survey of the wall, Matthew looked for a section of the obstacle where climbing would be easiest. He quickly found what he was looking for - a particular slab of rock that leaned inward more than the others around it. Backing up as far as he could go, the Ostian spy gave himself a running start and leapt as high as he could manage. Luckily, the stone's surface was rough and uneven, providing him with many handholds and footholds. Matthew grinned triumphantly when he found that his attempt was successful and started scaling the wall. In a few moments time, he was over the barrier and well on his way in his search for his missing meal.

Sneaking around in the shadows, Matthew kept his ears and eyes open for any noise or sign of movement. He was quickly rewarded for his work when he noticed two cloaked figures sitting by a few burnt and tattered chairs. The smaller one, a young boy, had messy blond hair, the color of which was still visible despite the layer of dust coating the boy's head. Matthew decided that that was most likely the thief who had stolen his food from him. The other figure was that of a girl, about his age, with what seemed to be brown hair; he couldn't quite make out the exact color due to all of the dirt and grime. They were each eating a piece of bread, and what looked to be... jerky...

He was too late... there was no way he'd be getting his meal back now... For a few seconds, Matthew stared angrily at the sight of his food being devoured before he came to a decision that his plans of "revenge" were still in play. Still hiding in the shadows, but keeping an eye on the figures, the Ostian spy was just about to remove the mask from his bag when the boy started talking.

"I don't want to steal anymore, 'Ri... I think the nice man was really mad at me..."

Matthew blinked. A... nice... man? He hadn't been called that much... He was far more used to being called "blasted thief." But nevertheless, he slipped the mask back in his bag and decided that it would be more interesting to learn more about his... targets...

The girl sighed. "Corey... you know we have to eat somehow. And you know that people won't be happy if you steal from them."

"But can't we make friends, 'Ri? I'm sure we can make lots of friends and they'd be nice to us! That'd be nice, wouldn't it, 'Ri?" Corey exclaimed.

The girl sighed again. "You're still little; you wouldn't understand... People just... aren't like that. They wouldn't want to be friends with us because we're not... special. We're not worth anything to them, especially in the state we're in now. If Father and Mother were still alive, then they might have profited by being friends with us. But now?"

"Oh... 'Ri?"

"Hmm?"

"Why can't we have a fire? The nice man had a fire."

The girl smiled sheepishly. "I don't know how to make one, Corey."

"Ohh... 'Ri?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you want to hear about my adventure?"

Smiling, the girl nodded. "Sure."

Corey beamed with delight. "OK! I was hiding in the bushes, right? And this nice man came and sat down on a boulder and..."

Matthew raised an eyebrow at the boy's account of the encounter. Especially the part where Corey said, with great vigor, that he had dodged hundreds of throwing knives while getting the bread. The girl seemed to share Matthew's feelings, as she only smiled knowingly during those improbable parts.

"And then I ran away!" Corey finished happily.

"That sounded like a wonderful adventure, Corey."

"No, wait, 'Ri! I'm not done yet! Know what happened next?"

The girl shook her head as Corey continued with his tale.

"The man... he got really mad at me..." Fear seemed to wash over the boy's face as he relived the chase in his mind. "He... he chased me... with a knife... But I wasn't scared at all!"

Watching the expressions of both speakers, Matthew silently noted that while Corey seemed to be trying to suppress his fear to the best of his ability, the girl was growing more and more agitated with every word of the boy's story. Eventually, she grabbed the boy's hand and pulled him toward her.

"Don't do that again, Corey. Don't ever do that again! You're my little brother... you're the only person I have left, Corey. You're the only person who has ever really truly cared about me. Don't do that again... Next time... I'll do all the stealing, all right? Promise?" she asked, gripping his hand tightly.

The boy only nodded, and the girl released her grasp on his hand. Silence reigned for a few moments before Corey spoke up again.

"Auri? Do you hate me? For what I did?"

"No... no... of course not," the girl, Auri, replied. "Why would I?"

Corey looked down at the ground. "I was just scared that you'd leave me while you go look for the Wish Dragon yourself..."

Hearing that unfamiliar term, Matthew decided to pay a bit more attention to the siblings' conversation. He was now fairly sure that they were the pair from the manor, even if the sister didn't exactly seem to match that description.

_Wish... Dragon? A... dragon? I know about Fire Dragons and Ice Dragons but Wish Dragons?_

"I'd never leave you, Corey. I wouldn't be able to last long without you, so I'll never leave you, I promise... But you have to promise never to leave me too, OK?" Auri stated.

Corey grinned. "'K! But 'Ri? Do you know what the Wish Dragon's like?"

"No... The books have pictures of Light Dragons, Demon Dragons, Dark Dragons, Fire Dragons, and Ice Dragons, but that's it. The Wish Dragon isn't really a true dragon anyway; people just called it that because it looks somewhat like a dragon..." Auri said thoughtfully.

"I bet it's really pretty then..."

Auri smiled. "Why would you say that?"

"Because the dragons in the books are pretty! I've never seen a real one though... I want to see one, don't you, 'Ri?"

Matthew shook his head sympathetically at that.

_If only you knew..._

Another moment of silence, interrupted by Corey again.

"Do we... really have to wish them back, 'Ri? Mother was always... so sick and Father was always so mean! I'd rather just stay with you forever and ever!"

Auri seemed a bit troubled by that, but she launched into an explanation anyway. "How many times do I have to tell you? We're nothing without them; we won't even be able to survive without them! You know as well as I do that the villagers here won't respect us if we don't find someway to make them respect us. I'm not pretty enough for them, and you're too scrawny. Even if we went somewhere else, I'm sure the same thing will happen. And if no one respects us, then how will we find any jobs? Even if we were to try to become performers, neither of us can sing, or dance, or play an instrument. And we're not good enough to learn! And... and... even if I were to... give myself to... to strangers... I... I'm not... like a girl enough for anyone to want. So we have to... have to find the Wish Dragon and wish them back! Else I... else we... oh... what am I saying? I... I don't even if we can find any information on it, let alone find _it_. I... I don't know what we should do, Corey... I really don't know..."

Matthew could barely make out the glimmering shine of tears dripping down the girl's cheeks. And with every sparkle that shone in the moonlight, everything became clearer for him.

Corey grinned happily. "It's OK, 'Ri! Let's go find the dragon! I bet we can do it if we try really hard! And we'll have lots of adventures together and maybe we can even wish Mother back healthy!"

Looking up, his sister wiped away her tears. "Corey... Thank you. I don't know what I'd do without you. Mother would be... happy..."

The boy's expression quickly switched to a sorrowful one. "Auri... is it... really my fault that Mother got sick?" he asked, hoarsely.

"No... no, of course not," she replied quickly.

"Then... then why did Father always say that it was my fault?"

Auri looked away sadly. "He was mad, Corey. He... loved Mother very much."

"But he didn't love me! It's not fair, 'Ri! You got to know Father when he was nice and Mother when she was healthy! But... but..." At that, the boy burst into silent fits of tears.

"Don't cry... Father loved you, I'm sure he loved you. He just... didn't show it..."

Matthew watched silently as Auri tried to comfort her still sobbing brother, watched quietly as the boy's crying diminished with every passing minute.

"I'm tired, 'Ri..." Corey whimpered quietly and wriggled up against his sister.

Ruffling his hair, Auri whispered, "Then sleep. I'll be here in the morning, don't worry."

"G'night 'Ri..."

"Goodnight."

The siblings curled up next to each other, and once again, silence reigned supreme under the watchful gaze of the stars and the moon.

Once he was sure that they were fast asleep, Matthew got up from his sitting position and stretched out his legs as quietly as he could manage. He understood everything now. He understood why the girl acted the way she did, why the boy acted the way he did. He understood what they were trying to do, what they wanted to do. And he understood... he understood what that meant to him...

_Leila..._

And for the first time in a long long time, he felt hope and joy at the very thought of _her_. She might... no... she _would_ return. He would make sure that she would return.

Matthew drew his knife and placed the mask over his face.

_Leila... You'll see, Leila..._

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A/N: T-T I hope I got Matthew's character right... He seems to me like the type of guy who's carefree and playful but really loyal to those he loves and sorta "emotional" at times... He's not a cold-blooded killer like Jaffar, even though he won't hesitate in hurting people for revenge; he's got "feelings"... Hope that's right... Anyone want to guess how stuff will turn out? How are the OC's? Like them? Hate them? Just know that their personalities and attitudes will change as the fic progresses... Want to guess their ages? Just remember that Corey is kinda... babyish/immature. Well... Please R/R!


	4. Lords and Ladies

Thank you for all your reviews! I'm so glad that there are people out there who actually enjoy my fic... right? Heehee... I hope I can continue to keep Matthew and everyone else (who will soon be appearing) in character!

Ages! Auri is 16 and Corey is 10, but he's kinda short for his age and immature... I'm hoping that this chapter will umm... make their personalities a bit more obvious...

OK... I'd like to again remind you... actually... this may be the first time but anyway... I'd like to remind you that everything about the "Wish Dragon" so far has basically been derived from "legends" and "stories"... which means that everything that Auri tells Corey or Matthew may not be the actual "truth"... For example, even though Auri may _say_ that the Wish Dragon's not an actual dragon... the "truth" may be that the Wish Dragon is a dragon... just not a "normal" dragon... But hey... you never know. To the fic! The first part sounds a little awkward to me...Sorry! I tried to fix it as well as I could... And ummm... sorry if the stuff about bows and arrows is messed up...

Chapter 4: Lords and Ladies

"Auri?"

Still hidden in the shadows, Matthew froze in his tracks, mentally cursing at the unfortunate turn of events. He _should _have noticed that the boy was awake, but the mask had obstructed his sight. The Ostian spy had originally planned on simply surprising the siblings with his knife and mask, but now...

_It looks like I'll have to think up something else then._

He gingerly removed the mask from his face and placed it on the ground without making a single sound. While he was in the process of concocting a new plan of attack, a soft sound, the noise of someone stirring awake, attracted his attention.

"What is it?" The young thief heard Auri mumble sleepily.

Silence, followed by quiet whimpering. "I'm scared..."

The girl turned around to face her brother with half-open eyes. "Of what?"

"I don't know..." Corey admitted. "But I'm scared..."

A sigh and a quiet rustling noise, which Matthew guessed was the sound of cloth being shifted around, soon followed. "I'll go get the bow then... if it'll make you feel better," Auri said, a bit reluctantly.

Alert brown eyes trailed the girl's stumbling figure as she felt around in the shadows for the bow. And in a sudden moment of realization, those same eyes lit up just as if someone had suddenly set fire to a large pile of dry straw.

_It's now or never._

"Got it! See, Corey? Nothing to be afra-"

In a sudden flurry of motion, Matthew flew from the shadows, grabbed the boy, and twirled around with his knife to Corey's neck, a slight grin on his face.

"Sorry." he whispered to the boy, "I normally try not to do this but I couldn't think of any other way this time. But don't worry; I promise I won't hurt you."

Corey only nodded and shut his eyes tight, squeezing out a few drops of tears.

Matthew smiled and turned to face Auri. "I don't take kindly to thieves. Especially those who steal my food," the Ostian spy announced to the girl, who was frozen in shock, unsure of what to do. Her bow hung limply from her hand, but as far as Matthew could see, the weapon was utterly useless. After all, what good is a bow without arrows?

A stifled gasp from her brother jolted Auri from her surprised state. She quickly pointed her bow at Matthew and pulled the bowstring back as far as she could.

"You know... there's a certain limit to how far back you can pull a bowstring," the young spy pointed out, still grinning.

"Why should I listen to you?" Auri retorted angrily, but, despite her unwillingness, slightly released her grip on the string.

"Now, now. I never said that you should _release_ your hold on it."

The girl stared angrily at Matthew and pulled the bowstring back even further.

"You really shouldn't do that, you know. Especially with a bow as old as that one. The string might-"

SNAP!

"Auri!"

Just as Matthew had predicted, the bowstring snapped in half under all the extra force being put on it. The weapon fell to the ground, and Auri soon collapsed to her knees after it, clapping a hand over her cheek. At that sight, Corey started struggling to get out of Matthew's grasp, biting and kicking the air furiously.

Once he had the squirming boy firmly secured and out of biting range, the Ostian spy sighed. "I tried to warn you..." Noting the girl's distressed expression, he continued, "If you'll be so kind as to remove your hand, then I can tell you if you should worry or not."

Auri glared at Matthew but gingerly removed her hand from her cheek.

The young spy squinted at the cut and declared, "It's fine; it should heal by itself if you leave it alone for a couple of days. You're lucky that you were holding the bow incorrectly anyway."

The girl glared at him again, this time reaching for the bow and holding it in her arms.

"You shouldn't be so sad over that old thing; you didn't have any arrows anyway." Matthew grinned as he noticed Auri trying to stare him down, but with absolutely no idea of what to do. "Of course... there _is_ a way to get your brother back..."

At that, Corey instantly stopped struggling, and the girl faced the young spy with pleading eyes. "Please... anything." she said quietly. "I'll do anything... if you'll let Corey go..."

Matthew blinked. "Anything?" he asked, unbelieving.

Auri looked down at the ground. "I... I don't..." She paused and closed her eyes. "Yes... Anything."

"No! Don't do that, 'Ri! Don't! I don't want you to! You promised you wouldn't leave me!" Corey gasped, muffled by Matthew's hand.

Auri turned away sadly, hot tears streaming to her eyes as Corey started struggling again.

"You know... you're taking this far too seriously. I understand that you've never faced a situation like this before, but books and fairy tales really just aren't the best places to learn about reality."

Both siblings glanced at the spy confusedly. Matthew stared back, amusement twinkling in his eyes.

"What did you think I would ask you to do? Marry me?" he asked Auri, but she only looked away coldly, trying to hide the embarrassment written all over her face.

Realizing that the girl wasn't about to talk anytime soon, and realizing that he would have to make her feel secure, Matthew did the only thing that he could think of doing. He laughed. "Am I really that undesirable? Besides, I hav-"

The sudden recognition of what he was about to say struck him... hard. "I... had someone..." he finished, lowering his gaze and releasing his hold on Corey, who squirmed free and ran to his sister, afraid that his kidnapper would try and grab him again. But the Ostian spy did not care anymore, merely staring straight into space, lost in his thoughts.

_Leila... what's happening to me? I've been so distracted lately... I haven't even been able to concentrate on my job... Is that... Is that why Lord Hector wanted me to have this... vacation? Leila... I-_

He felt a soft tug on his cloak and glanced down to see Corey, who looked at him with large, sad eyes.

"It's OK, sir. Me and Auri just lost our parents too..."

Reminded of his previous plans and faced with Corey's heartfelt attempts at soothing him, Matthew could not help but smile. He knelt down on one knee so he could look the boy in the eye. "Do you miss them?" he asked.

"A little," admitted Corey. "But I'm really strong! I even told my sister that we could live without them!"

"Corey!"

Both Matthew and Corey turned around to see Auri, who was standing in a corner, staring unhappily at her brother, but still unwilling to say anything.

"But 'Ri says that we _have _to get them back. She told me that no one would respect us if they weren't here 'cause we're not pretty or handsome enough for people to respect or treat nicely." With that, the boy glanced at Matthew again. "But you respect us, right, mister...?"

Even though he was caught a little off guard by that question, Matthew quickly recovered and gave Corey his warmest smile.

_If the girl won't talk..._

"Matt. You can call me Matt. And of course I respect you."

The boy beamed at that and rushed over to his sister. "Did you hear that, 'Ri? See? He respects us! We don't need Mother and Father anymore!"

Auri clutched her brother protectively and glared at Matthew, who rose to his feet. "Don't say that, Corey! And don't believe him. He's probably just lying. And we still have to get Mother and Father back... it's for your own good, Corey."

"I- If you say so, 'Ri... But can't I be friends with Mister Matt? I think he's nice!" the boy finished, looking at his sister with bright, cheerful eyes.

"Nice? He tried to kill you, Corey!"

"B- But he was only doing it because I stole his food! It's not right to steal! And he's just like us, 'Ri! He lost someone too!" Corey protested.

Matthew regarded the siblings' conversation with amusement and waited patiently for them to finish.

_Not right to steal? Then it's too bad that I'll be stealing something from you... Only if I have that something then... perhaps... there still is a way to save you, Leila..._

"Please, 'Ri? Please? I promise I won't do this ever again! But can I please be friends with Mister Matt?"

Disturbed from his thoughts, the Ostian spy glanced back at the siblings to see Corey still pleading with his sister, who sighed in defeat.

"I... I guess, Corey... I only hope that I've made the right decision..."

The boy smiled happily, not forgetting to thank his sister, and bounded back to Matthew. "Mister Matt! Mister Matt! 'Ri says that I can be friends with you!"

Matthew grinned. "That's great, Corey! But I was wondering..."

Corey stopped skipping around to stare at the Ostian spy with a questioning look on his face. "What, Mister Matt?"

"Oh, it's nothing much, really..."

Excited, the boy grabbed at Matthew's cloak. "Tell me! Tell me! Please?"

Matthew gently freed his cloak from Corey's grasp. "I suppose that I'll have to tell you then... Since we're friends and all..." he said nonchalantly, ignoring the small "hmph" that he heard from Auri.

He knelt down again and grinned at the boy. "I was wondering... when you and your sister were talking about getting your parents back, how were you planning to do it?"

Auri tried to stop her brother, but it was too late. The cat was already out of the bag.

"That's easy! Me and 'Ri are going to find the Wish Dragon and wish them back!" Corey announced triumphantly.

Matthew's grin grew even wider. He had the boy completely in his grasp. While Auri slumped down against the wall, he interrogated Corey for more answers. "Can you tell me anything else?"

The boy thought for a moment, and replied as cheerfully as before, "Well... 'Ri said that the Wish Dragon can grant any wish... But it can only grant one wish at a time before it runs away. Oh and if you're wishing a dead person back to life, the dead person can only be dead for five years or less... Um... and the Wish Dragon's not supposed to be a real dragon... I think that's it..."

The Ostian spy kept a composed look on his face, but inside, he was about ready to explode from joy. "One more question. That all right?"

Corey smiled in return.

"Do you have any idea where the Wish Dragon is?"

At that, Corey shook his head sadly. "Not even 'Ri knows..."

Matthew stood up, a bit disappointed. "That's too bad..."

Panic quickly streamed through the boy's eyes and he clutched at Matthew's cloak. "You- You're still my friend, right, Mister Matt?"

Smiling, Matthew ruffled Corey's hair. "Of course."

However, the boy was not convinced. He followed Matthew as the young spy picked up his bag from the shadows and swung it over his shoulder.

"Where are you going, Mister Matt?" Corey asked, worried.

"Well..."

"Take us with you."

Surprised, Matthew turned around to face Auri, who had stood up and was still staring at him coldly. Corey quickly ran to his sister's side.

"Take us with you," she repeated.

Matthew grinned. "Not even a 'please?' Your brother is much more well-mannered than you."

"Proper ladies shouldn't have to bow to the wishes of people like you."

Still grinning, the Ostian spy decided that a little fun was in order. Quickly adopting the air that he had observed in many a Lycian noble, he graciously said to the girl, "All right then, Lady Auri... You and your brother may come along with me. However, I must warn you that you should not be so cold with me. After all, I am a good friend of the Marquess of Ostia."

"So?" the girl answered. "This is Pherae, not Ostia."

_That_... was unexpected, but Matthew was not about to let it get the better of him.

_Hmm... wasn't Lord Hector mentioning a meeting with Lord Eliwood and Lady Lyn before I left? And wasn't it to take place in... Pherae?_

"Ah..." he continued, still keeping the same tone of voice. "But you are certainly aware that the Marquess of Ostia and the Marquess of Pherae are close friends? Because it just so happens that the Marquess of Ostia has already introduced me to the Marquess of Pherae quite some time ago."

Auri looked at the Ostian spy skeptically. "I still don't believe you," she finally said.

A sly expression on his face, Matthew laughed. "We'll just have to see when we get to Castle Pherae then, won't we?"

With that, he walked off into the shadows without looking back. It was not long before he heard the quiet pattering of two pairs of feet, so he slowed down a bit to let them catch up. "I'd suggest you hurry up. I'm hoping we can reach Castle Pherae by tomorrow evening."

It took the three a good amount of time to navigate out of the maze of scorched stone and burnt wood, and in addition to that, Corey fell asleep in the process, forcing Matthew to carry the boy on his shoulders. Once they were clear of the maze, and with Corey fast asleep, a few moments passed with neither traveler conversing before the young spy decided to break the silence.

"How are you certain that the Wish Dragon truly exists?" he asked without looking at Auri.

"I'm not."

A pause. "Then why are you trying to find it?"

"... Why don't you call me 'miss' first?"

Matthew sighed. "Why don't you drop that? I know what you're really like."

"You'd respect us less if I did. Proper ladies should keep to themselves."

"You do realize that you can't get respect that way."

"Neither I nor my brother have anything that will cause people to respect us. I'm not pretty; he's too scrawny. We're neither talented nor skilled. And that's why we need our parents back. Because people will respect their status and then they'll respect us too."

More silence.

"Can you use a weapon?" asked Matthew, deciding to change the topic. "Because you obviously can't use that bow."

"A real lady doesn't use weapons."

Another pause. "I know a few "ladies" who'd hate you for that."

And with that, the conversation ended, but this time, no one even tried to renew it. Matthew stared straight ahead... at the wide expanse of grass that separated him and his present goal... only one goal in a chain of goals that would lead to his final goal... his final aspiration...

_I promise, Leila; I won't be distracted anymore. I'll do whatever it takes to find that Wish Dragon. And this time... this time... I'll be able to save you._

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A/N: Heehee... we're getting closer and closer to meeting the others! And that reminds me... I have to go and start designing the villain's "personality" and... design... yeah... Umm... does anyone want to give me a character analysis of Corey and Auri? It doesn't have to be long... Just a little bit of what you think their personalities are like so I'll know if I'm doing OK... Just keep in mind what the villagers thought of them in the second chapter... I'd be really really grateful if you could help me with that... By the way, are there any people out there who would take offense at a fic with the idea of reincarnation and ghosts in it? It's not that you have to believe in it 'cause I don't either... it's more of a "would you hate it so much that you would never even look at it" thing... Umm... review?


	5. Castle Pherae

Reviews! Thank you all!

I'm sorry for the relative lack of action in this chapter! T-T But we HAVE to set up a huge meeting sometime, right? Ehehe... But yeah... MASSIVE character "introduction." Eliwood, Marcus, Lowen, Rebecca, Isadora, Harken, Erk, Serra, Oswin, Hector, Lyn, Kent, Sain, Wil, Florina... A good amount of those people will actually speak while others will only be mentioned... That might not be _all_ the characters who will be "in" this chapter though so... yeah... We're probably gonna be stuck in Castle Pherae for one or two chapters more... (Gotta have everyone introduced to Auri and Corey and also have to get all you nice readers to start thinking about the main mystery of the fic! Ehehe...) So yeah... after that, we'll really get started with the actual journey. OK... THAT was pointless... and badly put together... To the fic! Longest chapter yet!

Chapter 5: Castle Pherae

"Lord Eliwood!"

Dressed in the clothes he had worn while searching for his father, the young marquess turned from the window he had been looking through.

"Ah. Marcus, Lowen. Did you find anything of interest?"

The two knights stood silent under the marquess' surveillance. Lowen was the first to speak. "Lord Eliwood! Please forgive us!" he exclaimed. "I am afraid that my inexperience as a knight was what caused our failure. Perhaps Sir Harken or Dame Isadora-"

"Lowen, that's enough!" Marcus said sternly.

Eliwood smiled. "Yes, Lowen. Don't blame yourself. You're one of my most experienced and trusted knights, and you know how Harken and Isadora always want to be together nowadays."

"I understand, Lord Eliwood," Lowen said, slightly bowing.

"That's good." The marquess paused and turned to the paladin. "Marcus, would you mind giving me the details on how the mission went?"

"Of course, Lord Eliwood. We first went to the inn, just as you asked. The people there gave us some basic information about the family and the results of the raid. The bodies of the master and lady of the manor had already been retrieved, but the fate of the daughter and son was still murky. Many believed that they had been taken by the drunkards. We assisted the villagers in planning a proper burial for the deceased, and then we questioned all the people who had recently worked for the family and the people who had first seen the manor go up in flames. It was dark by then, so we spent a night at the inn and set out first thing the next morning. We paid a visit to the ruins and we found a smoldering fire on the outside perimeter, but we could not find any traces of whoever had made it. However, we did find this mask next to some scattered footprints."

Marcus retrived the said item from his satchel, handed it to Eliwood, and continued. "We spent a few more hours searching the woods the drunkards supposedly had escaped into, but we could find no trace of human activity. We began our ride back soon after."

"Yet after all your hard work, there was still no trace of the siblings," Eliwood quietly mused, fingering the mask in his hands. He then walked over to a shelf and placed the item on it, tracing the details of the mask with his eyes.

"Lord Eliwood. Is there anything else you'd like us to do?" asked Lowen, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

Eliwood turned again to face his knights. "No, I don't believe there is. You've done well. It's a pity Pherae does not have many well-versed in such crimes."

"Lord Eliwood, may I offer a suggestion?"

"Of course, Marcus. There's no need to ask."

"Thank you, milord. Are not Lord Hector and Lady Lyndis to be arriving this evening? Lady Lyndis is an expert tracker and Lord Hector may have brought the spy Matthew with him."

The marquess grinned, excited by the prospect. "You're absolutely right, Marcus! I'll ask for their assistance as soon as they arrive." Turning to the younger knight, he asked, "Lowen, would you like to overlook the cooking? The chefs are about done, but I'm sure that you could still assist them with some of the more difficult dishes."

"Y- Yes, Lord Eliwood!" Lowen saluted and marched to the kitchens.

"Marcus," Eliwood continued, but he was soon cut off by the appearance of a guard at his door. "What is it?"

"Lord Eliwood! There is someone at the gates who wishes to see you! He says that he has a message."

The Marquess of Pherae nodded. "Very well. Let him in."

But before the guard could leave to carry out the order, Marcus quickly placed a hand on the soldier's shoulder, holding him back. "Wait, Lord Eliwood," the paladin said. "You are the Marquess now. You can not just let anyone see you so freely."

With an apologetic expression on his face, Eliwood smiled. "Thank you again, Marcus. I am truly thankful that you are here with me." Turning to the guard, he added, "Please. Ask this person for his name."

"Yes, milord." The guard bowed and hurried back to the castle gates, but it was not long before he returned. "Milord, his name is Erk and he wishes to see you on behalf of Lord Pent and Lady Louise, but he says that if you are busy, he can wait," the young soldier announced, all in one breath.

Eliwood grinned, his thoughts turning back to the grand "adventure" he had had but a year ago.

_Erk__... I haven't seen him in a while... I wonder how Lord Pent and Lady Louise are doing..._

"Ahh... Lord Eliwood? Should I tell him to wait?" asked the guard, confused by the marquess' silence.

"No, no. Let him in right away."

The soldier bowed again and rushed off to convey Eliwood's command to the other guards.

"I do hope that Erk brings us good news," Marcus pondered out loud. "Perhaps Lord Pent and Lady Louise..."

"We'll see when he comes, Marcus. Speaking of which, he should be here any moment now. My study is not far from the gates."

The quiet pattering of footsteps heralded the soldier's return. He turned and stood at attention smartly just outside the doorframe and tapped his lance on the ground once. A familiar face soon appeared in the doorway, purple eyes serious, just as always.

"Lord Eliwood. Sir Marcus. It's good to see you," Erk said immediately upon his entrance.

"It's good to see you too, Erk," Eliwood returned.

Marcus nodded. "I am glad to see you are well, Erk. Lord Eliwood, shall I leave?"

"No, Marcus. There's no need," the marquess said thoughtfully. Then, turning to Erk he asked, "I do believe that you've brought something for me?"

"Lord Pent and Lady Louise wished for me to send you this message." The Etrurian mage fished a rolled-up piece of parchment from his cape and handed it to Eliwood, who gently untied the dainty red ribbon holding the scroll in place. He read its contents quickly and placed it on his desk.

"So, Erk... there must be some other reason why you're here. Lord Pent and Lady Louise would not have sent you all the way to Pherae for the sole reason of inviting me, Marcus, Lowen, Rebecca, Harken, and Isadora to Castle Reglay to see their newborn son," stated Eliwood, a faint smile on his face.

Erk looked the Marquess of Pherae in the eye, his expression as serious as before, but his lips curved slightly upward. "Lord Eliwood, you know Lord Pent, Lady Louise, and me quite well."

Eliwood smiled back in return. "I've had quite a good amount of time to observe all my fellow comrades-in-arms. It would be a shame if I _didn't_ know you well. Now, Erk. Is there anything that I can help you with?"

"Not much, I suppose," the young mage admitted. "Lady Louise told Lord Pent that I was spending too much time studying in my room and that a bit of fresh air would do me much good. It just so happened that Lord Pent had been wanting to send you a letter and so he asked me to take it to you. Now that my duty is complete, I suppose I should return to Etruria as soon as I can," Erk finished, still slightly amused.

"Well, I do hope you'll at least stay a few days," said Eliwood, a bit disappointed.

"I might. Do you know of any quiet inns I could possibly stay at?"

"Inns? There's no need for that! You could stay here, Erk. Besides, then you'd have the castle library all to yourself," Eliwood suggested, knowing that the mage would never be able to refuse that offer.

His hunch was right as Erk quickly added, "That would be a pleasure. I will not be intruding, will I?"

Eliwood shook his head. "Of course not! Marcus, we do have a selection of empty guest chambers, right?"

Marcus, who had stood quietly the entire time, nodded in reply.

The marquess grinned. "That's settled then. By the way, Erk, Hector and Lyndis are to be arriving soon and we'll be having dinner together. Would you like to join us?"

"Lord Hector?" Erk said thoughtfully. "He will not be bringing... Serra by any chance, will he?"

"I'm not quite sure, but I suppose we'll soon find out."

Erk sighed. "All right then. I accept. Thank you for your hospitality, Lord Eliwood."

"It's not a problem. Marcus, why don't you take our guest to the library? Oh and... Both of you, when Hector and Lyndis come, just return here to the study and we can welcome them together. Ah, one more thing, Marcus. Once you're finished with showing Erk the library, tell Lowen, Rebecca, Isadora, and Harken the same thing about the welcome."

Marcus bowed his head slightly. "Yes, milord. Come, Erk. This way."

"Thank you again, Lord Eliwood," the Etrurian mage said as he followed the paladin out of the study.

Once they were gone, Eliwood strode back to his desk and sat down in his chair. He sighed, staring blankly at the mask on his shelf. That was a mistake; the hypnotic stare of the mask's empty eyes compelled him to walk over and pick it up. The marquess then seated himself back at his desk and continued examining the object.

_I feel rather guilty entertaining so many guests while those poor siblings are still out there somewhere... but I suppose it wouldn't do to cancel this..._

After quite some time, Eliwood laid the mask down on his desk and leaned back in his chair, lost in his thoughts. He had thought that Marcus and Lowen would be able to apprehend the murderers but...

"Lord Eliwood! Lord Eliwood! Lord Hector and Lady Lyndis are here!" The voice of the same soldier from before jolted the marquess from his reveries.

_Together? Well, that'll save me some trouble._

"Ah... Tell them to wait. I'm coming." The soldier ran out the door as Eliwood briskly stood up and walked into the hallway where Erk, Marcus, and Lowen were already waiting.

"Erk, did you find the library suitable to your needs?"

The Etrurian mage nodded. "Yes, Lord Eliwood. There are quite a few books that even Lord Pent does not have. I believe that I will be quite busy during my stay."

"I'm glad that our library could be of use. How did the cooking go, Lowen?"

"Excellent, milord! The cooks were just about finished when I arrived but I was still able to give them a few suggestions regarding a few of the dishes."

"I can't wait to see what will be served. Knowing you, Lowen, it'll be a fine dinner," Eliwood said, smiling. "Marcus, you were able to find the others, right?" he asked the paladin.

"I was, Lord Eliwood. Ah... there they are now."

The marquess turned around to see Rebecca, Isadora, and Harken walking toward him, chatting cheerfully. The latter two were smiling at each other between sentences, but all talk stopped once the trio reached their destination.

"Isadora! Harken! Have you started planning yet?" Eliwood asked, a grin on his face.

Both knights blushed at his question. "For what, milord?" Harken returned, trying to appear innocent.

"For the marriage, of course. After all, you can't delay it forever. Why, I do believe that nearly everyone in the castle knows of your relationship!" the marquess exclaimed, causing the two to blush even more. "Rebecca," he continued. "What do you think?"

The archer nodded fervently. "I couldn't agree more, Lord Eliwood! Dame Isadora and Sir Harken make quite the perfect couple!"

"See? There's proof for you. But enough of that, let's go greet our guests, shall we?" Receiving responses of agreement from all sides, the Marquess of Pherae turned toward the castle gates, only to nearly crash into a guard.

"Lord Eliwood! Lord Hector insisted that he be let in and he-" The soldier was cut off by the unmistakable voice of the aforementioned lord.

"Eliwood! You're still alive, huh?" asked the Marquess of Ostia as he turned the corner.

Lyn soon followed after him. "Hector!" she exclaimed.

Eliwood grinned. "Hector, I'm touched. And it's a pleasure seeing you again, Lyndis."

"The pleasure's all mine, Eliwood," the Princess of Caelin returned, smiling.

"And you've brought Oswin, Serra, Florina, and Wil!" Eliwood continued, noticing the four standing behind their respective lords. "Where are the famed Emerald and Crimson Knights of Caelin, Lyndis?" he asked, trying not to laugh at the glare Hector gave Serra when she opened her mouth to speak.

Lyn sighed. "I didn't want Sain to come and cause a commotion here, so Kent volunteered to stay in Caelin and keep him under control. But they both send you their best wishes."

Eliwood smiled. "I'll write them a letter then. You wouldn't mind taking it to them, would you, Lyndis?"

"Of course not."

"How about you, Hector? And where's Matthew?"

"Matthew? I had him go on a vacation. He... wasn't feeling too well... Couldn't concentrate at all, not even on relatively easy missions. I'm sure you know why," Hector said quietly.

"I understand," the Marquess of Pherae replied, nodding. "I'll write him a letter as well. Now... how about going to the dining hall? That's what we're all here for, correct?"

With that, the three lords set off with Eliwood leading the way, while everyone else fell into easy formation behind, talking among themselves, just like they had always done when they were traveling from place to place in the battle against Nergal. After all, old habits are hard to break.

"Erk! I didn't know you would be here! Were you expecting me? You were, weren't you?"

"Lord Pent always told me that I had terrible luck at gambling. I suppose that this is proof..."

"So, Oswin. How are you faring with Lord Hector?"

"Ever since he's become the marquess, he's been slightly better, I suppose. I haven't caught him running off to any arenas lately. How about you, Marcus?"

"Rebecca! It's so good to see you! Did you receive that letter I wrote you?"

"I did, Wil. But you really have to work on your handwriting; I could barely read some of your words!"

"Ahh... Dame Isadora? How are you doing with S- Sir Harken?"

"Never better, Florina. Have you found anyone for yourself yet?"

"So, Lowen. I haven't been able to talk to you in a while. How is your training going with General Marcus?"

"Wonderfully, Sir Harken! I've been working extremely hard to become just as excellent a knight as you and Dame Isadora!"

And so the conversations continued until they reached the dining hall, which had been masterfully decorated. The large table was fully "equipped" with all sorts of foods and drinks, which did not only look good, but also smelled good too. Once everyone was seated, as the host, Eliwood took his place at the head of the table and looked around at all the gathered people, waiting for some silence. "Even though not all of us are gathered here today," he began, "even though it has been a year since the final battle, I still declare this banquet to be a sort of celebration for all that we have gone through... together. Well, what are you all waiting for? Enjoy!"

And with that, forks, spoons, and knives clanged as if they were swords, lances, and axes as the gathered fighters, all of whom had fought against the destruction of the world, set to destroying their enemies, no longer morphs and bandits but vegetables and meat, with deadly speed, power, and accuracy.

Meanwhile, outside the gates of Castle Pherae, a guard firmly blocked the entrance with his lance, denying entry to a light brown-haired visitor.

"Aw... Please? I really am a good friend of Lord Eliwood," Matthew pleaded for what _had_ to be the twentieth time.

"Lord Eliwood is currently enjoying a feast with company. We are not to disturb him unless it is an absolute emergency," the soldier stated once again.

Appearing dejected, the Ostian spy walked back to the thicket where Corey and Auri were waiting, his shoulders drooping. Auri greeted him with a glare, saying, "I _knew_ you were lying. See, Corey?"

"But... but Mister Matt wouldn't lie! Would you, Mister Matt?" Corey asked, huddling closer to his sister.

Matthew winked. "Of course I wouldn't! Now you just wait right here with your sister while I go convince those mean guards to let us in..."

Corey grinned back and burrowed his face in his sister's dirty cloak, but Auri glared at the spy again. "How do we know you're not just running away? Proper ladies-"

Sighing, Matthew retorted, "I know. I know. 'Proper ladies should never be left behind.' And since you're the daughter of the recently departed rich farmer, you _expect_ to be treated like a proper lady, right?"

"I... We... What made you think that?" Auri finally managed to stutter out, taken completely by surprise.

"It's rather obvious," Matthew said, grinning.

Auri huffed. "Our father wasn't just a farmer. He was a landowner, which is probably better than you'll ever be."

Still grinning, Matthew replied, "Oh, we'll see about that! Now about those guards..."

"You're just trying to run away because you're not really who you claim you are."

The Ostian spy sighed again. "How many times do I have to go over this? Just trust me."

Silence. "We can't afford to trust anyone," Auri quickly stated.

"Fine then." Removing his worn red cloak from his shoulders, Matthew handed it to the boy. "Here, Corey. Take this. I'll return for it and the two of you."

And without waiting for a reply, the Ostian spy bounded off into the shadows. He easily skirted the guards who were on patrol around the castle's premises and found what he was looking for - a tree that was nearly leaning over the castle gates, something that he had noticed on his last trip to Castle Pherae.

_It's a good thing that I haven't told Lord Eliwood about this yet._

Nimbly scaling the tree trunk, Matthew climbed as far as he could go without breaking any of the branches. He counted silently to three and jumped, landing softly on the castle wall. The Ostian spy grinned.

_It's also a good thing that Pherae doesn't have millions of enemy spies crawling in all of its villages; if they did, then this tree wouldn't be here in the first place._

Quickly discovering that the only way down would be to jump, Matthew ran along the wall until he found a suitable landing spot - a pile of hay that was lying in a corner, no doubt food for the horses. He resolutely leaped into his target, again thanking the fact that Pherae was such a peaceful territory when straws of hay flew in every direction the moment he landed.

He quickly picked himself up and climbed out of the pile, heading for the unguarded door that would let him into the actual castle.

_Now... where should I go first? Ah... that guard! He said that Lord Eliwood was enjoying a feast so..._

Without a second thought, Matthew darted through the open doorway, heading for the dining hall, the general direction of which, luckily, he was aware. Sneaking through the maze of hallways inside the castle, the Ostian spy was pleasantly surprised by the lack of guards. Apparently, Lord Eliwood had dismissed them all, no doubt confident in the actual diners' abilities. As he neared his destination, the sounds of joviality reached his ears, growing louder and louder with each step. He could even make out several familiar voices, wincing as Serra's shrill squeal of delight stopped him in his tracks. Noticing a burning torch mounted on the wall, Matthew grinned to himself.

_Why enter inconspicuously when you can enter with a bang?_

He could make out a bright light issuing from a slightly open door in front of him. With torch in hand, Matthew cautiously retrieved a small bottle of grease from his pack and coated the hinges with a good amount of the substance, trying to avoid any creaking noises that usually came with the opening of a door. Once he was finished, he gently pushed the door open, a little at a time, until he had just enough room for him to throw the torch through.

Gently placing his torch against the wall, the Ostian spy rummaged through his bag again, this time producing a small bottle of powder, which he uncorked. He poured a small amount of the powder into his hand and stuffed the bottle back into his pack, throwing the powder into the fire of the torch and simultaneously tossing the torch through the open door.

The torch clattered on the floor as the flame glowed green, and a hush settled over the previously noisy atmosphere, but not before Serra disrupted it with a high-pitched scream. Matthew ignored the sounds of weapons being drawn from sheaths and stepped into the room, perfectly aware of the fact that he would probably be impaled by an arrow or a javelin or maybe even a hand axe when he entered. He quickly found that his assumption had been correct as two arrows flew at him the instant his foot appeared in the doorway.

Dodging both projectiles, he walked into the dining hall and asked out loud, "Milord, how could you go to a fancy banquet and not invite me?"

Hector stood up from his seat, laying the Wolf Beil on the ground. "Matthew? What are you doing here?"

With that, the remainder of the company broke out into laughter, as the torch's flame was exhausted and the spy's figure appeared from out of the smoke. Matthew grinned at everyone in the room, walking up to the head of the table, ignoring Serra's glares.

"Lord Eliwood, Lord Hector. Might I speak to you in private for a few moments?" he asked quietly.

Both lords nodded and followed him out the door, but not before Eliwood told the others to continue their dinner.

Once they were safely out of hearing range, the Marquess of Pherae turned to the Ostian spy. "Matthew, what a coincidence. I wanted to ask for your help in solving a little mystery..."

"Of the missing son and daughter of the raided manor?"

Eliwood gasped in surprise. "How did you know?"

"Come with me. I have something to show you," Matthew said, grinning, waving a hand toward the direction of the castle gates.

Outside, in the thicket where Matthew had told them to wait, Auri looked at the guards yet again, tapping her foot impatiently. "He's not coming back."

Corey looked up at his sister, clutching Matthew's cape protectively. "But... but Mister Matt told us to wait for him!"

"Forget it, Corey. He's been gone far too long. We shouldn't have trusted him in the first place. Besides, we have to get going; we've already wasted too much time. Leave his cloak here. He'll find it," Auri stated, already starting to head out into the woods bordering the perimeter of the castle. Corey followed slowly and hesitantly, still clutching the cape.

"Corey... We have to go..." the girl said a bit more gently.

The boy looked up at his sister again. "But..."

"Corey..."

With one last look at the cloak, the boy laid it neatly on the ground. "All right... I'm coming, 'Ri."

Looking back at her brother, Auri smiled and walked onwards. "That's-"

But before she could finish, she crashed straight into something and fell to the ground.

"Hey! Watch where you're going, will you?"

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A/N: Argh... it's SO hard to put so many people into a single chapter... Makes all the dialogue super long... T-T Haha... I'd originally planned to cut it off at the part where Matthew says that he has something to show Eliwood and Hector but then that's no fun, is it? Guess who the person is! Here's a hint: kinda stubborn, kinda rash, but tries really hard... a little bit like Corey, in some ways. Yep. OK... I HOPE that's a correct character analysis of the character... Well... review please!


	6. Appearance

I got so many reviews! The most I've ever had for a single chapter! THANK YOU ALL!

Well... A big thank you to everyone who reviewed! I really wanted to get this chapter out because it's the one that'll be starting off the main mystery of this fic. OK... so it _used_ to be the chapter with the main mystery of the fic... T-T I decided to split it into two chapters... again... So the next chapter will probably be shorter... But this chapter will still have hints of the mystery! Please tell me your ideas about what the mystery is! That way, you can see if you guessed right next chapter. To anyone who reads Triforce Dreams: I promise I'll get to work on that soon, once I FINALLY get the chapter with the real mystery out (next chapter... I hope)! Promise!

Haha... This chapter will have descriptions for what Auri and Corey really look like! (without the dirt and grime) Oh and there'll be a bath scene, but I won't mention anything at all so... if you're really really squeamish about stuff like that then stop at the first mention of a bath. And... :waves piece of paper in air: I've sorta planned out all the chapters of this ficcy and it'll be around thirty chapters, give or take three... or four... or five... --' Yeah... so... enjoy! To the fic!

And... they _did_ have scissors in those times, right? 'Cause I remember seeing something like that somewhere... And they _did_ have oil lamps, right?

Chapter 6: Appearance

Seeing his sister fall to the ground in front of him, Corey ran up to her frantically. "Auri! Auri! Are you OK?" he cried, kneeling by her side.

"I- I'm fine," she replied shakily, slowly getting to her feet. She looked at the person she had crashed into, only to find that the figure was still standing in the shadows.

"That's good to hear," said the person, stepping into the moonlight. "So what's a girl like you doing out here? Say... you're uh... not lost or anything, are you?"

Auri continued to stare at the figure. "You..."

"Huh? Me? Wh- What about me? H- Hey! It's not polite to stare!"

"Y- You're Sacaen," the girl finally managed to say.

The person gave Auri a surprised look. "Err... Y- Yeah! I'm a warrior of the Kutolah tribe! Name's-"

"Guy! Is that you, Guy?"

Three heads turned to face the source of the voice. "Matthew?" Guy asked in a disbelieving tone of voice, seeing the familiar figure of the thief running toward them.

"The one and only!" Matthew exclaimed, grinning. "And it seems like you've found our two runaways too. Auri, Corey, why don't you two wait over there," he said, making a light gesture toward the siblings and then toward a large tree at the edge of the forest.

Guy only stared at the siblings' somewhat reluctant retreat, and then at Matthew, even more confused than before. "Uh... Runaways?"

"Tell you about it later. Lord Hector! Lord Eliwood! Over here!"

A few seconds later, two more familiar figures appeared on the scene. "Guy! I didn't know you were here!" Eliwood exclaimed once he saw the Sacaen.

"Well..." began Guy, looking at the marquess, embarrassed. "You see, Lord Eliwood, I've been training to be the best! But uhh... I uhh... ran out of money to umm... buy food, and jobs have been pretty scarce lately so I came here wondering if I could err... work here for a while..." he finished, a sheepish grin on his face.

"As a mercenary?" Marquess Pherae asked, smiling.

"Y- Yeah... I guess. So... err... can I?"

Eliwood grinned. "Of course, Guy! You can stay as long as you'd like! And whenever you'd like to leave, just tell me and I'll see if I can find something for you to do."

"Ah! T- Thanks, Lord Eliwood!" Guy exclaimed, bowing.

But before Eliwood could reply, Hector laughed and said, "You don't have to thank him; he'd do anything for an old comrade-in-arms. Speaking of which, would you like to come with us? Lyn and I just came this evening with a bunch of our henchmen and we're finishing up dinner just now. Maybe if we're quick we can still get some of the leftovers before they're thrown out to the dogs. That goes for you as well, Matthew."

Matthew bowed deeply, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "Ah... Milord, you are so very kind."

"Err... err... y- yeah! Thank you, Lord Hector!" said Guy, quickly following Matthew's example.

Hector shrugged. "Don't thank me; thank Eliwood. He's the one who's feeding us." Turning to Matthew, he continued jokingly, "You're lucky I'm in a good mood today. Shame on you for setting such a bad example."

The Ostian spy merely grinned and nudged Guy in the side, saying to Eliwood at the same time, "Lord Eliwood, thank you for your hospitality."

Catching on a moment too late, Guy exclaimed, "Aah! Thank you, Lord Eliwood."

"It's no problem at all," Eliwood said, amused. "Why don't you head back to the castle before us, Hector? I wish to talk to Matthew for a while longer."

"All right. I trust you will tell me what exactly is going on later?" Hector said.

"Yes. And Guy? I think that you should head back with Hector. You haven't eaten dinner yet, have you?"

"Y- Yes sir!" Guy saluted and chased after Marquess Ostia, who had already started walking back to the castle. "Lord Hector! W- Wait for me!"

Once the two were fully out of sight, Eliwood turned to the Ostian spy. "Matthew?"

"What is it, Lord Eliwood?"

"Where exactly _are_ the two?"

Matthew gestured toward the tree he had previously pointed to. "Corey! Auri! Come out for a second!"

Two heads peeked out from behind the tree, and two bodies soon followed. Once he was certain that Eliwood had gotten a good look at them, Matthew waved them back into hiding.

The marquess turned to the spy again. "What do you propose we do with the siblings?"

"Lord Eliwood, I believe it would be wise for you to give them their own room to spend the night." Matthew paused for a moment before continuing, "I have a... proposition I would like to make to you, Lord Hector, and Lady Lyndis regarding the two."

Eliwood nodded. "And for their dinner?"

"Send food and drink up to them. But do not let anyone else know that they are here. The girl has... a tendency to upset people."

"Really?" Eliwood asked, surprised. "She seems quite friendly to me."

Matthew shook his head. "Not in front of you, Lord Eliwood. But there are others in that room and I would rather they enjoy this evening without any... interruptions."

"I understand. Well, shall we head back?"

"Yes." Turning toward the tree, Matthew shouted, "Corey! Auri! It's time to go!"

Once again, two bodies appeared from behind the old elm, with the boy dragging the girl along. When they were close enough, he let go of his sister's hand, running toward the marquess. "Wow! Are you really Lord Eliwood?" he asked excitedly.

"Yes, you are... Corey?"

"Yep!" The boy grinned and turned toward his sister. "See, 'Ri? Mister Matt wasn't lying!"

The girl merely smiled at her brother. Turning to the marquess, she curtsied and said, "Lord Eliwood, I am Auri, daughter of the late Sir Grey."

Eliwood smiled. "I know, Matthew's already told me. I'm happy to see that both of you are alive and well. Please, come with me and Matthew to Castle Pherae; I'll have a room and dinner prepared for you right away."

Auri curtsied again. "Thank you, Lord Eliwood. Perhaps you could also provide a tub and some hot water?"

"Auri! I don't want to take a bath!" Corey exclaimed, only to receive a glare from his sister.

Amused by Corey's outburst, Eliwood laughed. "Of course."

"Ah... and Lord Eliwood?" Auri continued. "Could you possibly send someone to help me cut my hair? My mother... when she told us to escape..."

And for the first time, both Matthew and Eliwood noticed the frayed and uneven ends of the girl's hair, sure signs of hasty and unsteady sword strokes.

The marquess nodded. "Yes, I'll do that as well. Is there anything else I could help you with?"

"No, I don't believe there is. Thank you," Auri replied. "Corey?"

"Thank you, Lord Eliwood!" the boy quickly exclaimed.

Matthew grinned. "Well then, shall we get going?"

"Yes. This way," the marquess stated, starting back on the path to the castle, closely followed by three other figures.

The guards were quite willing to open the castle gates for their lord and his guests, patiently answering all of Corey's questions while they did so. Once the group was in the castle itself, Eliwood told Matthew to head for the dining hall while he led the siblings to their room. He then proceeded to lead them up a winding staircase to a long and richly decorated hallway, stopping at the first door. Using the key that was hanging on the door knob, the marquess opened the thick wooden door and stepped aside to let the siblings see their new "residence."

Both Corey and Auri gasped at the sight. The room was of a decently large size, with lush tapestries hanging from the ceiling. Two beds, with the blankets draping off to the sides, had been conveniently placed against one of the walls, not too close yet not too far from each other. In a corner of the room stood a large mirror, reflecting the light of the various oil lamps hanging from the walls. A plush velvet carpet stretched across almost the entire floor, ending at a small curtained-off area, to which Corey immediately dashed. He parted the curtains curiously, only to make a face at the contents of the area. Auri quickly followed her brother and looked over his shoulder. Sitting in the middle of a hardwood floor was a large bathtub, complete with a small bar of soap on a shelf next to it.

Auri turned to face the marquess, curtsying yet again. "Lord Eliwood! I- I... How can I thank you for this?" she finally managed to stammer out.

"Well, you can start by not curtsying," Eliwood replied, smiling. "I'll have someone bring the hot water and your dinner. Please, enjoy your stay," he finished, placing the key on a nearby table and gently closing the door behind him as he walked out.

Once the marquess was gone, Corey immediately proceeded to jump onto one of the beds. "This one's mine! 'K, 'Ri?"

Auri sighed. "All right. But take off your boots first; you'll get dirt and mud all over the sheets."

Corey nodded and set to removing his dirt-caked boots, watching his sister examine every little aspect of the room. "What do you think of this place, 'Ri?"

"Lord Eliwood seems to respect us. It's a good thing he knows of our status. But that other lord, Hector, was it? I don't think he knows of our parents, but we'll still have to be deferential. Hmph. The Sacaen, Guy, was just like the others; I'm sure he didn't even think of respecting us."

"But 'Ri! I always heard that Sacaen people are serious and quiet! He wasn't like that..." Corey said, looking at his sister with bright eyes.

"You're right... Maybe..." The girl paused for a moment and then shook her head. "No. He's just like the rest of the world; we're not good enough for him," Auri stated flatly, ending the conversation.

It was not long before someone knocked on the door, asking, "Miss Auri? Master Corey? I've prepared the hot water. Would you like me to bring it in?"

Auri looked up from her reveries and headed toward the door, opening it. "Yes. You do have a clean washcloth with you too, don't you?"

"Yes, miss," the maid replied meekly, as she walked in with a jug of steaming water in her arms and a few varying pieces of cloth draped over a shoulder. "I've also brought both you and Master Corey a clean set of clothes."

Jumping up from his position on the bed, Corey ran to the maid, grabbing one of her arms so that he could get a better view of the jug. "Wow! That's really hot water!"

"Ah... Master Corey, please don't grab my arm like that," the maid said apologetically. "I might spill the water and cause a mess."

"That's right, Corey. You don't want to waste all that hot water, do you?" Auri said, gently prying her brother's fingers from the maid's arm.

"But 'Ri! I'm big now like Mister Matt! I don't have to take a bath!" the boy complained.

"Corey!"

Seeing his sister's angry expression, the boy quickly responded, "I'm sorry, 'Ri... I'll go and take a bath..."

Auri smiled. "That's better, Corey. You can go first."

"Ah, miss? Where would you like me to put the water?" the maid asked, somewhat timidly.

"The bathtub's behind those curtains; you can put the washcloth on the shelf next to it. And put the clothes on my bed, the one to the right."

The maid nodded and proceeded to carry out Auri's orders. When she reappeared from behind the curtains, she quickly curtsied to the siblings. "Miss Auri? I'll go and get another jug of water... The tub was bigger than I expected..." she said, scurrying out the door without waiting for a reply.

When the maid's footsteps became inaudible, Auri turned to her brother. "Well, go ahead, Corey."

The boy grumbled a bit but picked up a clean white shirt and white pants from the pile of neatly folded clothes lying on the bed. He then shuffled to the curtained-off area, parting the curtains and stepping onto the hardwood floor. Peeking his head through the drapes, he said, "Don't come in 'til I'm done, 'K?"

"Of course," Auri replied, smiling.

She heard the sounds of water sloshing around in the tub and on the ground and resumed her inspection of the room. Examining the beds, she found that the sheets and blankets seemed fairly new and incredibly clean, as if they had only been used once or twice before. Satisfied, Auri continued walking about, head faced toward the ceiling so that she could better scrutinize the tapestries, which were richly decorated with various portraits of soldiers and their mounts, participating in wondrous battles with all sorts of fantastical creatures. But just when she was beginning to become engrossed by the pictures, Corey's voice disrupted her thoughts.

"I'm done! Can I go now?"

Auri turned to face her little brother, who emerged from the curtains with wet blond hair plastered all over his head. He stared at her with large blue eyes, lower lip slightly quivering, but she could only laugh quietly at the sight he presented. The shirt that the maid had brought was a few sizes too large for the boy, and, as a result, it sagged from his shoulders and hung far below his waist. Luckily, the pants seemed to fit decently well.

"All right, I suppose," she said, finally able to remain calm. "Where are you going anyway?"

Corey grinned, shaking off a few beads of water from his head as he did so. "I'm going to go and explore the castle!" he exclaimed. "Just like Mister Matt would!"

The previous signs of laughter on Auri's face disappeared almost immediately as she sighed. "I... guess I can't stop you, Corey. But promise me you won't go too far. Just stay in this hallway, all right?"

Nodding fervently, the boy made a move to dash for the door, but his sister grabbed his sleeve before he could run off. "Wear your boots, Corey. I know they're still dirty, but I don't want you getting your feet hurt."

Corey nodded again, this time grabbing his boots from Auri's hands and slipping them on his feet as quickly as he could. Before she could say anything else, he had already scurried to the door and was halfway into the hallway when he turned around, waved cheerily, nearly crashed into the maid as he turned to leave, apologized, and, finally, hurried into the hallway, looking for adventures.

Sitting on the bed, Auri sighed again, watching the maid step gingerly through the room to the bath-area. She heard the sound of the jug being set down on the ground, the sound of a tub being pushed around, the sound of water escaping into what would probably be a drainpipe, the sound of a tub being pushed back, and the sound of water filling a tub. Picking up the remaining clothes from the bed, a white blouse and skirt, along with a light robe, the girl stood up from the bed just as the maid emerged from the curtains with the empty jug.

"Miss Auri? I... I have to get a few things, but when I come back, would you like me to wait for you? Lord Eliwood told me that you wished to have your hair cut."

Auri nodded. "Yes. You can wait over there," she announced, pointing to a chair sitting next to the wall on the other side of the room. "I won't take that much time."

She walked slowly to the curtained-off area, and, once she was satisfied that she was alone, prepared for her bath, stepping heavily into the tub when she was ready. Starting by scrubbing off all the dirt and grime that had accumulated on her skin and hair in the few days that they had spent foraging for themselves, Auri sighed happily, relishing the relaxing feeling brought by the hot water splashing against her. Once she was satisfied that she had rid herself of the layer of dirt covering her body, she stood up from the tub and dressed herself in the clothes that she had brought in with her, taking care to dry out her hair as much as she could. Luckily for her, all of the clothes that she had been provided with fit her decently well.

When she was about finished, Auri stepped from behind the curtains, gesturing to the maid, who nodded meekly and hurried over with a stool, a comb, a small bucket and a pair of scissors. Sitting down on the stool, Auri waited quietly as the maid examined her still-wet hair, combing it out as gently as she could.

"Ah, Miss Auri," the maid began. "Would you like me to cut your hair short? It's very uneven right now; there are some parts where it is long and then some parts where it suddenly becomes short again, and I think it would look better if-"

"Yes," the girl replied, her voice cold yet slightly uneasy at the same time. "Go ahead. I suppose that if no one thought I was pretty before with long hair, no one will even want to look at me with short hair, and that's... not much of a change, anyway."

Not fully understanding what Auri meant and choosing not to answer, the maid merely nodded and began cutting the girl's hair short, holding the bucket underneath to catch the falling strands. It took her some time to finish her task of insuring that all of Auri's hair was about the same length, but the girl was quiet throughout the whole ordeal, eyes shut tightly.

"I'm finished, Miss Auri. Would you like to take a look in the mirror?"

Opening her eyes, Auri stood up from the stool and did as the maid had suggested, walking over to the large mirror in the corner of the room. She stood in front of it, regarding her reflection warily, almost as if she did not want anything to do with it. Her reflection only stared back with its, no... _her_ brown eyes and light brown hair falling a bit below her narrow shoulders.

The maid walked up behind her. "Miss Auri, would you like a ribbon to tie your hair with?" she asked meekly, holding up a small, red strip of fabric.

Auri sighed and took the ribbon from the maid's hands, tying her hair into a short ponytail, which sat relatively high on her head. She mumbled something to herself, something along the lines of how the ponytail didn't change anything, but the maid again decided not to ask.

"I'll take my leave now, Miss Auri," she stated, picking up all the things that she had brought into the room.

Not receiving an answer, the maid interpreted Auri's silence as a "yes," and walked to the door, half expecting to hear a word of thanks. When she was rewarded with none, she paused for a moment before closing the door behind her, and then left the room, quietly declaring to herself that everyone in House Pherae was much more courteous.

Once she was convinced that the maid had actually left, Auri quickly slipped on her boots and rushed to the door, opening it hastily. She peeked around outside, looking for her brother, but all she found was an empty hallway.

"Corey?"

Meanwhile, wandering about the long and winding hallways of Castle Pherae, completely lost, was Corey. He hadn't meant to go so far from the limits his sister had set for him; he had only wished to follow a mouse back to its hole. But now he was lost, with absolutely no idea how to find his way back.

"Auri? Auri? I- I'm lost!" he cried, glancing around in the hopes that his sister would miraculously appear.

With every step the boy took, he felt more and more frightened, partially scared that he would never see Auri again, partially afraid that Auri would be so mad at him as to leave him... forever.

Corey gulped at that thought and quickly decided that it wasn't a pleasant idea to think about. "I'm not scared," he whispered to himself. "I'm brave like Mister Matt!"

However, when the only reply he received was the sound of his boots squeaking on the ground, the boy only became even more terrified. "I- I'm really not scared! At all!" he declared to no one in particular.

But the shadows on the walls only seemed to grow longer and the fires flickering in the torches only seemed to dance livelier. Nearly frightened out of his wits, Corey stumbled on his boots as he half-staggered, half-ran down the increasingly ominous corridor. He did not dare to make a single sound; it could have alerted any nearby monsters to his presence. And so he ran in silence, fervently wishing for anyone to step in and save him.

A light streaming from a half-open door attracted his attention, but the voices that were also issuing from the room were what _really_ arrested his run. A voice? Two voices? Corey smiled happily, his previous fear almost completely forgotten.

_I knew I would find someone!_

Sliding up against the wall, the boy was prepared to open the door, enter the room, and meet the people inside, but he quickly decided that it would be impolite to barge upon their conversation. And so, Corey sat quietly beside the door, peeking into the room and waiting as patiently as he could for the talking to stop, which it soon did, but the boy was too engrossed in studying the furnishings of the room to enter.

The chamber appeared to be a library - it had shelves and shelves of books. Furthermore, there were two people in the room, a pink-haired girl and a purple-haired boy. Even though there were several oil lamps in the room, each hanging a good distance away from the bookshelves, the latter was reading a particularly thick book under the light of a candle. The girl was sitting opposite to him, staring.

The pink-haired girl was the first to speak. "Erk! It's been so long since we last spent some quality time together, but you just absolutely HAVE to insist on reading that book! Don't you want to enjoy my company?" she exclaimed.

The purple-haired boy, Erk, said nothing, only flipping a page in his book, but a faint rosy glow slowly spread over his cheeks.

"See? You're blushing! You DO like me, Erk! I knew it!"

Corey paled at that.

_Th__- They're not going to kiss, are they?_

"It's the candle, Serra," Erk retorted with a calm voice, something that Corey found quite amazing. How could anyone be that collected, especially after an accusation like that?

However, the girl, Serra, refused to give up. "There! There! You're still blushing, Erk! I'm going to tell Lord Hector right now!" She stood up from her seat, but before turning to leave, she blew out the candle and winked cheerily at Erk, skipping away.

Luckily for Corey, he had already scooted to a safer area in the shadows by the time Serra left the chamber, and that, added to the fact that the girl had skipped in the opposite direction, insured that he was not seen. Once he was certain that he was safe, Corey scurried back to his previous position at the door, and was just about to enter when something stopped him in his tracks.

Inside the room, Erk had taken out a small book with a red cover from his cape. He mumbled a few words under his breath, and then stated one particular word a bit louder. "Fire!"

Within seconds, a small ball of fire materialized from thin air, and Erk, with only a quick hand wave, directed it toward the still-smoking candle, which quickly began to give off light again. Corey stared agape as the mage... he _had_ to be a mage... resumed reading his book as if nothing had happened, quietly grumbling about "over inquisitive clerics."

_I- I want to do that too! I don't want to be a knight anymore! I want to be a mage!_

And so, once he was completely sure of his decision, the boy gently pushed the door open and stepped into the room.

"Go away, Serra," Erk said, still studying his book.

"But I'm not Miss Serra!"

The mage looked up, and, noticing the boy standing in the doorway, asked, "And who would you be?"

"My name's Corey, sir."

Erk sighed. "Did Serra send you to tell me something?"

Corey shook his head. "No, sir."

Another sigh, this one of relief. "Then did you want to get a book to read?"

Corey shook his head again. "No, sir."

"Then what do you want?"

Pointing at the candle, the boy smiled and said, "Mister Erk, could you teach me how to do that?"

While all that was taking place, yet another meeting was unfolding in Eliwood's study. The marquess of Pherae had asked Marquess Ostia and the princess of Caelin to join him and Matthew there, only stating that the Ostian spy had some important things to say. Once they had reached the study, Matthew had requested, politely, of course, that the door be shut properly and that none of the guards be nearby. Eliwood had quietly fulfilled all of the spy's desires, and thus, all three lords were quietly seated at a table, waiting for Matthew to begin.

The Ostian spy started by placing both hands on the table. "Lord Hector, Lord Eliwood, Lady Lyndis. I wish to ask a proposition of you," he announced quietly, but with a grin on his face.

The three lords looked at each other before Eliwood answered for all three of them. "We'll do whatever we can."

Matthew removed his hands from the table and sat down in the seat that had been provided for him. "I want to go on a... journey and if you could each spare one of your retainers for a few months, I do believe that I would greatly appreciate it."

The lords exchanged glances again, but this time, it was Lyn who answered. "We've nothing against it, but they'll have to be willing to go."

Nodding, the Ostian spy leaned back in his seat, satisfied that he had received the answer that he had hoped for and expected to get.

Silence fell over the room before Hector questioned, "Matthew, just why exactly do you want to go on this... journey?"

Matthew's grin grew only wider in response. "I'm glad you asked, milord. You see, I think I've found a way to save Leila from the clutches of death."

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A/N: Umm... can anyone please tell me what the FE characters (such as Serra or Rebecca) use to tie their hair? I don't think they're ribbons... Are they called "hairbands?" I'm not too sure about this. T-T If you know, then please tell me! Ahem. Anyway... :is so annoyed by her inability to describe hair styles: T-T I hope you all sorta understood what I was trying to say for Auri... It's not as high up as Lyn's, but it's not hanging loose either... Argh. Oh well... T-T As for why Auri didn't thank the maid, she thought of the maid the same way she thought of Matthew. :nods: Don't worry! It'll all change! Really! Eventually... Did you like this new little personality trait of Corey's? Did you even notice a "new" personality quirk? Please tell me if you did! Now I must go and figure out how the magic tomes work... T-T So... how did Guy turn out? OK? I hope... Well... review please.


	7. Revelation

Umm... Hi? Long time no see... :shifty eyes: Ahh... I've been really busy lately... So yeah... I'll be going straight to the point now... This is probably gonna be a shorter chapter 'cause I had to end at a certain point for emphasis! Sorry about some of the transitions in this. I couldn't think of a better way to write them...

**Please read this... If anyone wants a picture of Corey, now that his "job" has pretty much been established, please tell me and make sure that I can either find your email in your bio or in your review! Thank you!**

OK... that's all! On to the fic! Hope no one minds my additions of topography details!

Chapter 7: Revelation

"Are... Are you sure about this? This discovery?"

Matthew only nodded in response to Eliwood's question, allowing the three lords some time to let the revelation sink in.

"Then, how? How are you going to do this?" asked Lyn, still a bit incredulous.

Grinning, the Ostian spy replied, "Lord Eliwood? I do believe that now would be a good time to inform Lord Hector and Lady Lyndis of the circumstances surrounding the arrival of the siblings?"

"Siblings? Does this have something to do with your "private" meeting?" Lyn interrupted.

"Yeah. But I'm just about as confused as you are, Lyn," replied Hector. "Tell us about the two, Eliwood."

"Yes, I will. But..." Turning to Matthew, he said, "I'll have to insist that you be the one to relate your part of the story. I'm afraid that I don't remember much of the details of what you said while we were hurrying out the castle."

"Of course, Lord Eliwood."

The marquess of Pherae nodded and began. "The siblings' names are..."

* * *

"Please?" Corey stared pleadingly at Erk, his eyes open as large as possible. He had tried this technique many times on the servants of their manse, and it had always worked. Well... _almost_ always. "I really REALLY want to learn..." 

Erk was confounded, quite a rare occasion for him. The request had come so suddenly that he had not as much time as he would have preferred to think over it. And it wouldn't do for him to refuse right away; he couldn't be too sure of the actual situation behind this appeal. Besides, as much as he enjoyed disagreeing with Serra, this _was_ just a young boy who was asking him right now. However, the Etrurian mage was also not one to fall for such a trick as this; Serra had pulled the same face at him many a time. But the boy looked so earnest and he _had_ been wanting a student of his own for some time now...

"I'll think about it." It was the best he could do at the moment, he was sorry to admit, but he really did need some more time to muse. Anima magic, just like any other type of magic, was not easy to learn, and he had to be certain of just what he was stumbling into before he began giving any lessons.

Corey lowered his eyes in disappointment. At least he'd received an answer. "All right, Mister Erk. I'll be patient."

Erk nodded and resumed reading. "Yes. Speaking of which, shouldn't you be sleeping by now? It's quite late."

"Well... yeah... But I can't find my room anymore. Auri'll be really mad at me." Corey admitted sadly.

Sighing, the mage shut his book with a thud. "Come on, let's go find Lord Eliwood; he'll know where you're supposed to be."

Corey gave Erk his largest grin. "Thank you, Mister Erk! Could you talk to Auri too? So she won't be so mad?"

Grabbing the candle holder by the handle and shoving the book under the other arm, Erk walked out of the library with Corey trailing close behind. "This Auri. Is she your nursemaid?"

"No. She's my sister."

Erk nodded and said nothing more as the two headed for Eliwood's study.

Meanwhile, running about the halls barefoot and worried was Auri.

"Corey? Corey!"

She regretted letting her brother run out alone, but she had not realized how large Castle Pherae was. Running by confused servants and nearly crashing into them several times, opening and closing doors, peeking into every nook and cranny, she was beginning to grow more and more nervous.

"What am I going to do? I... I can't ask those servants. I can't trust them. But what should I do? This is all my fault," she confessed to herself as she checked yet another unlocked room for any sign of her brother.

Finally, Auri was forced to stop near a particularly large door, completely out of breath and energy. She was not used to such strenuous running, having been pampered all her life.

"I... I know! I'll find Lord Eliwood; I can trust him! He's the only person here who respects us. He'll help me find Corey. I know he will!"

Just as she was about to run off again in search of the marquess of Pherae, soft voices from the room behind the door reached her range of hearing. Pressing her ear against the wooden door, she was surprised to recognize Matthew's voice among that of three other voices, two of which she eventually distinguished as Lord Eliwood's and Lord Hector's. However, before she could push the door open, she let out a soft gasp, having realized the topic of their conversation.

_They're talking about me and Corey!_

Auri pressed her ear against the thick oak even harder, attempting to discern the faint voices that were reaching her ear, having been intrigued by the conversation.

"So, Matthew. About this Wish Dragon you just told us about, how are you certain that it exists?" Hector asked.

The spy grinned. "Funny you should ask that, milord. I asked the very same thing myself."

_It would be safer if I neglected to mention the fact that the siblings wish to use the dragon's power as well. I don't believe that milord, Lord Eliwood, and Lady Lyndis would be very receptive of my plans if they knew that little detail. But the two still must go with me; everything will fall apart if they were to tell._

He quickly continued without any hesitancy. "The girl, Auri, was against giving me any details, but from what I can gather from their previous conversation, the so-called Wish Dragon is but a myth. But..."

Listening outside, Auri grimaced to herself after hearing that Matthew had eavesdropped on her and Corey.

_I _knew _he couldn't be trusted._

It was too late when she realized that she had just missed out on the rest of what Matthew had to say. She pressed against the door once more, taking care not to make a single noise.

"Yes. And I'll make sure that they are well-provided for here," she heard Lord Eliwood say.

"I'm sorry, but I think that the two should travel with us. They, especially the boy, wish to see the dragon with their own eyes. It would be safer if they had an escort to accompany them..."

"Ha. I see now, Matthew. And I'm also guessing that you want us to tell them that you'll be their escort, right?"

"There's no fooling you, milord."

"Where are you planning to go, Matthew?" Eliwood asked.

"Hmm... I've asked the siblings if they know anything about the location of the dragon, but neither could give me a satisfactory answer. So I was thinking that I could first visit Lord Pent and Lady Louise in Etruria, providing that they'll be there and not away on a lengthy trip to the Nabata Desert. Lord Pent has one of the most expansive collections of ancient manuscripts in Elibe, does he not?"

"Yes. That'd probably be the best route to take right now under the current circumstances. By the way, you don't mind if I had you bring a letter to them as well, do you?"

"No, of course not."

Lyn grinned, excited. "Well... that takes us to the next topic. Who are you planning on asking to go with you?"

Thinking for a moment, Matthew replied, "Could you possibly spare... Wil for a few months?"

"Yes, and I'm sure that Wil would be quite happy to have a bit of respite from Wallace's training sessions. Would you like me to ask Florina as well?"

"No. I don't want to attract unnecessary attention. Having a Pegasus Knight around, no matter how accomplished she is, will no doubt draw looks. And, unless it's absolutely necessary, I wish to travel by foot for the majority of the journey. The forests bordering Etruria are quite dense, and it would not be desirable terrain for horses."

Lyn nodded. "Reasonable enough."

Next, the spy turned to the marquess of Pherae. "Lord Eliwood, would you be willing to allow Rebecca to join as well? Our group will not be particularly large, so guerilla tactics will most likely be quite useful, and I can safely say that it's quite a fearful experience to have to wander into a forest and watch arrows magically sprout in your companions' bodies."

Eliwood laughed. "I fully agree with that. Would you like me to ask for anyone else's assistance?"

"No, I believe that would be enough." Turning to Hector, he continued, "Milord, as much as I hate to say this, I'm going to have to ask that you give Serra a few months' leave as well. It's always better to have a healer on hand."

The marquess of Ostia gave his "favorite" henchman a good slap on the back, almost sending Matthew flying. "Heh. Your loss, my gain. I've been wanting some peace and quiet for some time."

"Yes, but don't you think that you are lacking in axe or lance users? I'm sure that both Hector and I would be quite willing to lend a hand..." Eliwood added.

Matthew shook his head. "Please, that won't be necessary, milords. Besides, it wouldn't do for the new marquesses of Pherae and Ostia to run off on some journey just to help their retainers on some fool's errand. And I'm quite certain that the majority of obstacles we'll be encountering will come in the form of bandits, and axe-wielding ones no less. I'm pretty sure that I'll be able to handle them, and if Guy and Erk are willing to come along as well..."

"You're quite observant, Matthew, noticing all those people just from a few minutes in the same room with them," Lyn commented.

"Well... that's to be expected of a spy, is it not?"

"True. Very true. I just regret that Mark isn't here at the moment. A tactician would be quite useful..."

"Yes, but that can't be helped. Besides, I'm sure that our battles won't be anything that we won't be able to handle ourselves. We're all experienced veterans of war, are we not?" Matthew grinned.

Eliwood gave a slight laugh at the spy's comment. "Well then, it's settled. I'll have all your supplies prepared so that you can leave the day after tomorrow."

"Thank you, Lord Eliwood, Lady Lyndis, milord. I do hope I'll be able to repay you someday."

"There's no need. You've done a great service to us in our journey; it's only fair that we help you on yours," the marquess of Pherae replied. "Though... there _is _something else that I want to ask you."

"Ask away, Lord Eliwood!"

"The siblings... they do not wish to... use the Wish Dragon's power as well, do they?"

Matthew paused, surprised, but he did not show it on his face. "Not that I'm aware of," he answered warily.

_No. I _won't_ be stopped now. Not when everything's just about to start!_

Luckily for the spy, Eliwood smiled, satisfied. "That's good to know. So... what supplies do you think you'll need?"

Outside, Auri could barely contain her glee.

_Finally.__ Once I find that Wish Dragon and wish our parents back to life, everything will go back to normal! I won't have to deal with these insolent people anymore. I don't particularly trust that Matthew, but everything'll be all right once I make my wish!_

"Auri! I found you, Auri!"

Her little brother's voice shattered her out of her thoughts as he ran up to her.

"Guess what! Guess wha-"

"Shhhh!"

Auri tried to silent her little brother's cries, but it was too late. The door slammed open, with Eliwood, Hector, Lyn, and Matthew rushing out. Glaring at the purple-haired mage, he _looked_ like a mage judging by the clothes he wore, who had brought her brother back, she mentally prepared an excuse just in case there were any questions asked.

While the girl was explaining herself to Eliwood, Matthew took note of her ordinary light brown hair, tied in an ordinarily short ponytail, and her ordinary brown eyes, nothing like _her_ features...

_How could I have not noticed before?_

He checked again. The hair that had previously been dark brown due to a layer of dirt was clearly light brown. The ponytail was in the same position, the same length. The eyes... were... brown... just like...

_She- She's the girl! The girl in my dreams! She comes... before a dragon... Perhaps she will lead me to the Wish Dragon? And would that mean that her brother is the dragon? He is supposedly unlike the others in his family, after all..._

He took another look at her, taking care to avoid her gaze.

_Or is... she... the Wish Dragon?_

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A/N: Oooo... Fun ending, huh? What do you think? Did I mess up Erk's personality? Hector's? Lyn's? Eliwood's? Matthew's? Did Auri and Corey have their personalities messed up 'cause I haven't written for so long? Please R/R and tell me what you think! And remember to **leave your email if you want me to send you the picture of Corey!** Thank you!


	8. Assemble

Third of the many updates/new fics I've been promising! That means that I need to advertise the other two... XD :cough: Go R/R "To Commune With a Spirit" and "Believe in Me" please. XD :cough:

**If anyone wants a picture of Auri, leave your email! You know the drill! XD**

Haha. Another short chapter because it's another one of those talking chapters. I guess I should have combined this with the last chapter, but the ending note on that one wouldn't have been as powerful. XD We're getting to the start of the journey! We really are! XD And, per usual, tell me if any characters are WAY OOC. I'm going to apologize ahead of time for Guy; first of all, like some of you have pointed out, I'm not too good at writing him; second of all, I'm trying to make him a LITTLE bit mature than he was in the game because he'll be thrust midway through the fic, into sort of a... "comforting" role, thanks to Matthew, of course. XD So... yeah... T-T Gosh, I'm so scared that I offended people now... But um... yes. I also went back and edited a bit of his previous appearance, so that might be a bit better?

Well... here's the next chapter! I think it'd be best to assume that everyone's at their promoted levels because I'll still be calling Serra a cleric when she'll actually be a bishop and using light magic. XD

* * *

Chapter 8: Assemble 

It certainly was a bright beautiful morning as the sun shone through the large window in Eliwood's study, but Guy was not in the mood to enjoy it.

"Grr... That Matthew!" the young swordsman mumbled to himself. "'Go to Lord Eliwood's study and wait there for me,'" he said, teeth clenched. "It wouldn't have been so bad if he hadn't had that- that _grin_ on his face! And his knife at my neck! Grr... How'd he get into my room anyway?"

Setting himself down in one of the felt chairs in the room, Guy sighed.

_At least I'm not the only one that thief tormented._

Looking around the room, he could see Wil and Rebecca chatting quietly in a corner, laughing together every once in a while. Erk was reading, as usual, his eye twitching due to Serra chattering about... something... behind him.

The door opened, and Matthew strode in with a big grin on his face, his beloved cloak around his neck. They spy quickly shut the door and cheerily announced, "Good morning! How are we all today?"

Wil and Rebecca halted their conversation, turning to give the Ostian spy their full attention. Erk shut his book, sending Serra, who had finally stopped prattling, a look that only the mage could manage. Guy, on the other hand, shot Matthew a glare, which the spy returned with a grin.

"You're probably wondering why you're here so listen up, all of you. That includes you, Serra. Lord Eliwood has graciously lent us his study for a... private meeting of sorts, and since I'm sure he'll be wanting it back soon, I'll get straight to business. I have a proposal to make to-"

"Ooo! What kind of proposal? Are we all going to get vassals? Jewels?"

Matthew sighed, giving the pink-haired cleric an exasperated look, which she obviously did not recognize as she continued, "Well? Are we? Are we?"

"No," the spy replied as calmly as he could manage. "Now, as I was saying, and would you please listen, Serra? You've been asked to come here because I believe that your various skills will be very helpful in a journey that I wish to undertake."

Before Serra could let out a single word, Matthew hastily renewed his speech. "It has come to my attention recently, that there is, or at least was, a creature known as the Wish Dragon. As its name implies, it grants any desire of mankind. I... wish to use that power."

A moment passed, and the spy fell quiet, but no one, not even Serra, disturbed him, knowing full well whom he was thinking of. Matthew laughed quietly, "Sorry. Won't happen again. I'm not obliging any of you to come with me on some wild goose chase; I know that you all have your own lives to live now that there's no madman trying to rule the whole of Elibe. In other words, selfless heroism is _not_ expected of you. And that's why I'm asking and not blackmailing," he said, ignoring Guy's glare.

The Ostian spy shrugged. "Well? What do you say? If you're worried about your various duties, Lords Eliwood and Hector and Lady Lyndis have promised to give you leave for however long this will take. However, if you're still not convinced, know that Lord Hector has already offered me the best mercenaries that money can buy if I should get no results today."

Looks were exchanged, but no words were said.

"I'll go," Guy volunteered, standing up. "Of my own accord this time. If I want to be the best swordsmaster in all of Elibe, I'm going to need all the experience I can get!" he stated proudly.

Matthew grinned. "Anyone else?"

"You'll be meeting with Lord Pent, right? I might as well go with you; Lord Pent would have never given up this chance for learning and neither will I," Erk said calmly.

"If Erky's going, then I will too!" Serra exclaimed excitedly as Erk hid his face in his hands. "And you'll need my stunning good looks and charm to heal all your wounds!"

"I was afraid of that," Matthew muttered under his breath. "Wil? Rebecca?"

"Well..." the brown-haired archer scratched the back of his head. "Count me in, I guess! Got nothing to lose, and it'll be a nice break from old tin can's training."

Rebecca smiled brightly. "I'll go as well! It's always nice to help a friend."

"Perfect," Matthew said, grinning. "Glad to know I'll be traveling with trustworthy companions. Ah yes, that reminds me. There are two siblings coming with us as well. Erk and Guy? I believe you've met them already. The older sister's name is Auri; the younger brother's name is Corey. I've decided to let them travel with us because, from what I've heard, they're a bit like you, Erk; they want to see the Wish Dragon up close. That and they demanded it themselves. Well, the girl did, at least."

Rebecca clapped her hands happily. "Where are they now, Matthew? I'd love to meet them!"

The Ostian spy ran a hand through his hair. "In their room, though I have no idea what they're doing. And I'm not so sure you'd _love_ to meet them. The boy's fine, but the girl's rather... demanding."

Serra exclaimed, "Do you think she could demand beautiful new dresses from Lord Hector with me? Ooohh! I must make preparations immediately!"

Matthew sighed, "Nothing ever gets through your skull." Serra pouted, Erk smirked, and Matthew continued, "But we leave for Etruria and Castle Reglay first thing tomorrow. Bring your best weapons. Lord Eliwood has said that he will provide all of the supplies and gold we'll need." And with that, he strode out the door.

* * *

"Look, 'Ri! Isn't this cool? Mister Erk gave me these clothes! And there's even a really cool cloak! And he gave me this magic tome too! I'm going to be a really strong mage, 'Ri!" 

The siblings were in their room, preparing for the journey. Corey was twirling about in his new clothes, and Auri was sitting on the bed. After his conference, Matthew had sent a maid to their room to tell them of their departure date and to take the two to the nearby marketplace in order to pick up some new clothes. Auri had chosen a long sleeveless shirt, a vest, complete with three buckles, a short skirt with a small slit on the right, and a pair of boots for her travel wear, muttering the entire time that she'd get her respect one way or the other. Corey, on the other hand, despite being fascinated by all the sights and sounds in the marketplace, especially the live chickens, didn't buy anything, seeing that Erk, after hearing from Matthew that his newfound "student" would be traveling with the group, had sent up a bundle to the siblings' room, which included all the things that Corey was now proudly displaying to his sister.

"That's nice. Just be sure you don't tell him anything about how we're going to use the Wish Dragon to get our parents back, all right? You can't tell _anyone_; I bet they're all just itching to have us tell. We'd be better off if no one knew. I still don't really trust this Erk, but it looks like we'll be stuck with him for some time, so as long as you're happy, Corey... Just be careful, all right?" Auri cautioned as she wrapped worn strips of cloth around her arms as she had seen an archer do during their trip, though she had no idea what they were for.

Corey smiled happily and gave his sister a quick hug. "Don't worry, 'Ri! I'm going to go practice now!" he shouted as he ran out the door, but quickly peeked back in and said, "I'll be in the courtyard! Mister Erk said he'd take me if I met him at the library!" With that, he disappeared from view, quick footsteps fading away.

Auri sighed, fingering the bow next to her. It had yet to be restrung, but she gripped the smooth word firmly as she remembered what Matthew had said to her when she had tried to use her bow against him.

_You'll see. I'll show you that I can use this! I'll show you all that I deserve my respect!_

* * *

Matthew paced the floor of his chamber, unable to sleep despite knowing that a good night's rest was likely to be rare on the journey ahead. He could see the moon from his window, but it was half-covered with clouds. 

_Good thing it's almost summer. __Etruria__ would be a lot harder to reach if it were winter._

A light breeze reminded him that the window was still open, but he didn't mind. Pherae was not known for its mosquitoes, after all, and the room _was_ a little stuffy. The spy sat down on the bed and shook off his boots, checking to see that the soles were still fairly new and not worn out. A quick inspection satisfied his requirements, luckily, for if they had not been met, he would have had to make a quick midnight trip to the cobbler's. That would have been a hassle; for him, that was. It probably would have been more of a traumatizing experience for the cobbler; midnight visitors suddenly appearing in one's home were not very welcome, after all.

_We'll be going to __Etruria__ through __Ostia__, Leila. We'll stop there for one night, and when we do, I'll be able to see you again._

Matthew laid his head on the fluffy white pillow, pulling the blanket over his body.

_Leila, it's been a while, hasn't it? I don't know if you miss me, but... just know this. I miss you._

* * *

A/N: I apologize that it's another short chapter, but I can't do much until I reveal the antagonist... next chapter? And get to the battles! Yay! Haha. Hmm... Sneaky little spy, aren't you, Matthew? XD What is Matthew planning? What will happen if it becomes known that Auri and Corey want to use the Wish Dragon too? All those and more will (not) be revealed (yet), on the next chapter of Wish! XD **And don't forget to leave your email if you want a picture of Auri now that HER "job" has been revealed!**


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